A Stolen Heart
by Pokeluv101
Summary: "Tonight, I shall steal your heart." Green didn't know what to make of the letter until he met Blue. The vigilante was tasked with stealing a locket given to him. But either knew the secrets hidden within the locket and how it tied their fate together. {Oldrivalshipping / AU}
1. The Aqua Locket

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

><p>"Why today of all days," Green cursed the world as he ran up the steps to the university he worked at. What kind of impression would he make to his student if he was late? He was a researcher at the university but he recently took on the job of a professor as well. He was known for his intelligence but that wouldn't help him if his students thought little of him.<p>

Just as he was racing up the steps, a woman came barrelling down them. He could see that she was frantic and when she came closer, he could hear her muttering to herself about something. She kept her face to the ground so she didn't see him running up the steps and crashed into him. He swore loudly, placing one arm around her waist and grabbed the rail with the other to keep them both from falling.

"I'm sorry," She said quickly and tried to escape his arms. Her ocean blue eyes met his for a moment before she quickly looked down and pulled her blond hair in front of her face. He could only guess that it was a nervous habit of her as wrenched her arm from his hand. "I need to go! My grandfather just got admitted to the hospital and I need to see him."

With those parting words, she continued to run down the stairs. He turned to continue as well but something stopped him. Closing his eyes for a moment, he thought of his own grandfather and knew the fear she must've felt. Instead of running to his class, he ran after her. Luckily she hadn't run too far and he was able to catch her quickly.

"Which hospital?" He grabbed her arm again and her ocean blue eyes widened again. He knew his sudden action must've frightened her so amended. "My car is close so I'll drive you. The hospital's all the way across town and you can't run all the way there in those heels. Even if you hail a cab, it'll be faster if I drive you. Let me help you."

She hesitated and seemed to run over the option in her mind before she nodded rather reluctantly. He led her to his car and opened the door for her to enter. Her eyes continued to dart around the car and he couldn't fault her for being cautious since he would do the same. He started his car and noted that she kept one hand on the door, as if preparing to jump at a moment's notice.

"The Center," She told him which hospital to drive to and he quickly made his way into traffic. He heard her mutter something beneath her breath when a red light forced him to stop. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and noted that she kept her back to him as she looked out the window. There was something strange about her that he couldn't place.

She looked to be the same age as him but she didn't seem to be a grad student at the university. She didn't have a school bag and he had never seen her at the university before. It was obvious that she was worried about something and he could only assume that it was the thought of her grandfather. Despite all the questions he had for her, he pitied her situation and resigned to driving her.

"The light's green," She pointed out and he grunted an answer. Her hands tightened into fist and he heard the soft prayer she whispered. He drove faster when he heard that, he wanted her to see the old man if this was his last day on the earth. Green could only imagine the worry he would feel if it was his grandfather in the hospital and projected that onto her.

"We're here!" He barely stopped before she threw open the door and jumped out. He could understand her urgency but cursed that she was so reckless. She could've killed herself. He leaned over to close the door she left open in her dash to the hospital. She stopped at the automatic door to look back at him and their eyes met once again as she called back to him.

"You're a kinder man than I thought you would be. Thank you Green!" She ran into the hospital before she could see his hand stop. He had never told her his name so how did she know it?

* * *

><p>"Remind me why I took a job teaching kids?" Green groaned as he returned to his home and he could hear his best friend, Red, laughing on the other end of the phone. He was late to the class and almost half of the student left by the time he returned. At first, he only took the offer to get more grant money for his research but found the thought of teaching interesting. It was a new experience for him at least.<p>

"I thought you would've called me saying you went off on one of them and got yourself fired. You're doing much better than I thought you would." Red laughed and Green didn't know why he was friends with the man at times since their personalities and occupation were so different. They both worked with their strength, Green trained the minds of young students and Red took on a job fighting to protect others.

"Didn't you almost get fired because you were caught trying to kiss that blonde?" Green brought up though he knew that it was a misunderstanding. Red had been trying to help a blond maid but when he leaned too close to her, she became nervous and pushed him into the fountain they were standing in front of. Red laughed at the memory and Green rubbed his temple remembering the blond he met that morning.

"I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it and I explained it to Missy so I didn't get fired," Red shrugged off the issue. Very few things made him mad and a mistake wasn't one of them. "Actually I haven't seen her around the estate since then so I'm hoping nothing happened to her. Shit, look at the time! It's almost my shift to guard the lady so I need to go. Good luck with your students."

"I don't know why I bothered to buy you a watch for your birthday if you're going to be late anyways," Green's words were caught between a laugh and a groan. He said a quick goodbye to his friend before sitting at his desk to start his own work.

His brow rose when he opened his laptop and it took a second for it to listen to his command. Beyond that nothing seemed to be out of place and waved away the issue, thinking that his laptop was merely slow. None of his files seemed to be corrupted and that was all that mattered to him. He didn't have anything important on his laptop except his research.

He sighed when he found that he couldn't concentrate on his research and was thinking about the blue eyed woman instead. There was something about her and his gut told him that there was more to her than that one encounter. He was always busy with his work so didn't spend much time thinking about women so why did she enter his mind?

"It's your fault isn't it?" Green sighed and slid a look to a photo of his sister. The family portrait was the only personal thing he kept on his desk and a reminder of why he worked so hard as a scientist. She had died of a brain tumour the previous year while he was still in grad school. Despite the year separating him from the event, it still hurt.

He still remembered how she would tease him and tell him he needed to focus on something other than his research. They didn't part on angry words but there were times he wished he could've done more for her. Opening his desk, he pulled out the heart locket she gave him and repeated her words to himself. "Find a woman to give this to, huh? What's the point if you're not going to be there for the wedding?"

He threw it back into his desk, slightly frustrated. He leaned back in his chair and pressed his fingers to his eyes to calm himself. After a moment, he took out the locket and placed it more carefully in a cushioned box. It had been passed down from his for decades but more importantly it was given to him by his sister and he would treat it with care. To his knowledge no one had been able to open the locket.

"Maybe one day sis," Green promised the photo of her and smiled to himself. He could all but hear her nagging him that he would never find a girl if he stayed in his lab. He closed his eyes to refocus himself and turned his mind back to his research. He opened his binder from his bag and found a note but he didn't recognize the paper it was written on. Curious, he read it.

_I will steal your heart tonight_, the letter read and Green's brow twitched. He didn't know how the note got into his binder but if his colleagues were playing a prank on him, he would have their heads. He didn't have time for their games and he would make sure they wouldn't repeat this. If it was a prank, it wasn't well planned out since a vague threat like the letter wouldn't frighten him.

"Kids these days really have nothing to do these days," Green sighed and threw the letter into his waste basket. Luckily it was still early in the semester so he didn't have to mark anything so he had time to spare. He knew he should budget his time wisely now so when he had more responsibilities with his students, he could effectively do his research.

Why was everything distracting him from his work today? First the blue eyed woman side tracked him then thoughts of his sister took up his mind and lastly the note. He could understand how the last two distractions could pull him away from his work but not the first. He looked over to his clock and committed himself to two more hours of work before he slept.

He worked until past midnight and the only thing that dragged him away from his sleep was Red calling to pester him about his health. The man might've been his best friend but there were times Green wished Red wouldn't worry so much about him. If he could continue with his work, he wouldn't find himself thinking about the woman he met earlier.

He collapsed on his bed despite the fact that he didn't feel the least bit tired. He closed his eyes and forced all thoughts from his mind so he could sleep.

* * *

><p>Green had always been a light sleeper so he woke easily when he heard someone open his desk drawer. Someone was in his room. He opened his eyes slightly, not wanting to alert the intruder that he was awake. Someone dressed in black had their back turned to them and Green carefully stood. How did someone enter his home without alerting his security system?<p>

His rage soared when he saw him take out his sister's locket and placed it around his neck. She could steal his money, clothes or electronics but there was hell to be paid if she took the locket. He was a trained fighter and knew he could easily take down the intruder so roughly grabbed his shoulder.

"Give me back my sister's locket!" He ordered but the boy didn't say a word as he used Green's momentum to throw him over his shoulder. Green swore as he did his best to regain his balance. The man was slender but strong and seemed to know how to fight as well. Green pushed away all those facts, knowing that he had to take back the locket.

He had barely regained his balance before the intruder kicked his gut. He swore but didn't let that stop him. When he would've kicked him again, Green grabbed his leg to throw him off balance. The burglar landed on his hands and turned his body to kick Green's temple. Green's grip loosened enough for him to free himself and put enough distance between them.

Green couldn't tell what technique he was using so he couldn't predict the intruder's moves. It didn't help that he hadn't practised martial arts in a long time so he was a little rusty. Green made sure to stand between him and the window to keep him from escaping. He went into a fighting stance the same time the intruder kicked his chair towards him.

He caught it easily but realized that it was a distraction when the intruder rushed past him. Green pushed the chair aside and grabbed at him but was only able to pull off his hood. His eyes widened when a cascade of brown hair fell over his hand. A woman?

He was taken back further when she laughed and gifted him with a bitter grin. She kissed his cheek before kneeing him sharply. When he bent over, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt to throw him aside and sent him crashing onto the ground. Swearing to himself, he tried to regain his breath to chase after her but she was already out the window. Forcing himself to his feet, he went after her.

* * *

><p>Blue made sure that no one was following her before she stopped at the museum. She held the locket in her palm and wondered about it. Whenever she was ordered to steal something, it would often be more valuable than a simple locket. She would just have to ask Platina when they meet up again, she reasoned with herself.<p>

The woman had employed Blue years ago, as well as three other women, to steal back heirlooms that were stolen from her family. The locket wasn't the complicated designs the Berlitz favoured but her suspicion didn't rise until she studied the locket. She tried to open it but found that she couldn't and wondered if the scientist had broken it.

Knowing she couldn't waste time outside the museum and risk being seen, she took a key from her pocket and entered the building. She and the other women Platina hired worked at the museum so they decided that they would make the place their meeting place.

"Did someone order a rare aqua necklace?" Blue asked cheerfully as she walked down the stairs to the basement, swinging the locket between her fingertips. She had to laugh when Yellow all but have a heart attack over Blue's treatment of the locket. Yellow was a lover of art and couldn't stand the thought of it being mistreated, let alone stolen and sold.

"That was fast," Yellow commented as she took the locket from Blue and began studying it under a magnify glass. She was an expert in the arts and was charged with verifying that the artifact was authentic. Because of that she didn't go out to steal and Yellow couldn't be disappointed by that fact.

"It couldn't be that difficult," Lyra mused as she pushed herself away from her computer. She was a programmer and helped the group through her hacking ability. Blue knew that the woman was intelligent but her naïve nature usually took the better of her. "He had a simple security system and his house didn't have any twist or turns to worry about."

"That's what confused me," Blue admitted and sat next to Yellow. She couldn't read the thoughts running through Yellow's mind as she made notes in her sketchpad and compared it to the photo Platina had given her. When she was concentrating on art, there was almost nothing that could pull her away. Becoming bored with the silence, Blue turned to Lyra.

"That Green is really something too," Blue tilted her head to the side as Lyra pulled up his personal file for them to look over. Since most of Platina's heirlooms were stolen and sold illegally it was hard for them to locate them but Lyra always managed to find a way. "Did you know that he actually gave me a ride to the hospital? I didn't think he would do that so it took me back."

"Not all murderers and thieves come with a set guideline," Lyra quoted sadly and Blue could hear the rare change in her voice. She placed a sisterly hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. Lyra forced herself to smile and said, "You two might find this interesting though. Guess who called him right before you stole from him? I'll give you a hint and say that he used to be a boxer."

Yellow's hands became clumsy and the locket slipped between her fingers. She apologized as she tried to focus on the locket again. She touched her cheek and knew that her face must've been red at the thought of the man. Blue had teased her that she was going to steal from the man's best friend and would bring him up as many times as she could.

"I can hardly believe that he would be friends with Green if he knew he participated in illegal auctions." Yellow tried to defend him and Blue gave her a knowing smile. She knew that she was only digging herself a deeper hole so turned back to the locket. The four were close since they've known each other before Platina hired them to steal back her heirlooms.

An entire wall was decorated by computers and Lyra was able to keep track of each one. As Blue was going through a list of heirlooms that they had yet to steal back, something caught Lyra's eyes and she choked on her coffee. She patted her chest to calm herself before turning back to Blue, "I thought you said you took care of Green. He's here and he's trying to get into the museum!"

"Is he crazy? He'll be arrested for trespassing," Blue snarled. Even on the computer monitor, she could see how determined he was and rubbed her temple. She thought she knocked him out and made sure that no one was following her when she returned to the museum. How did he know where she was? She took a cloak and pulled the hood over her head. "He wants me so I'll lead him away."

"Too late," Lyra muttered when he forced one of the doors open. Usually an alarm would go off but Lyra disabled it so that Blue and her sister could come and go without worrying about alerting the police. Platina didn't mind since Lyra was better than any security system. "I'll deal with it. Call Crystal and tell her not to come by until I'm finished."

"This is my problem so I'll deal with it." Blue stopped Lyra from activating any of her traps. Taking a gun from the desk, she raced to stop him before reach their base. When she reached the first floor Lyra directed her to where Green was through the earpiece she was wearing. She didn't need it though because she could hear Green muttering to herself.

"For someone so calm, you're surprisingly loud." Green heard her whisper and turned sharply to see her walking towards him. He knew that she was taunting him and worst he could feel himself being manipulated by her barbs. He wasn't one to rush to anger but when pushed, it flared dangerously. And the woman enraged him more than he had been in a long time.

"Give back my sister's locket!" Green demanded. He was breaking several laws himself by being in the museum but when he saw that she didn't alert the police by entering, he thought it was safe for him to do the same. He was determined to take back the locket, the jewel he made a promise to his sister on.

"Are we going to have another fight? I really don't want to fight you, sweetie." Blue said innocently and Green had to force himself not throw a fist at her. From her tone, he knew that she was planning something and he didn't want to recklessly jump into a fight. She pulled something from her pocket and threw it to him.

It was a copy of the locket. Yellow had made it and only an expert like her would be able tell the difference. Blue was supposed to leave it in place of the one she stole from Green but she didn't have time. With a relaxed shrug, she said. "You caught me and I've had enough excitement for one night. A stupid locket isn't worth fighting with you."

"This isn't my locket." He said in a cold tone, raising jade eyes to her. She didn't want her shock to show on her face but couldn't help but let it show. Yellow was a talented artist and to her knowledge Green didn't have the education to spot a fake. "Even if I didn't know that it wasn't my locket, do you seriously think that I would let you get away with theft?"

"That's a shame then," Blue sighed and Green didn't understand until she whispered. "That means you're a liability. I wanted to do this peacefully but you leave me no chance."

"What?" She was so casual in her threat and Green immediately got into a fighting stance. He thought she would attack him so he wasn't prepared when someone attacked him from behind. A powerful kick took his breath from him and someone grabbed his hand, pulling it behind him. He found his arms tied behind him and he swore as he was being treated like a turkey.

"What took you so long Crystal?" Blue laughed merrily. "So what are we going to do with him?"

* * *

><p>"It's not the locket," Yellow held out the jewelry for the group to study and they gawked at her. Lyra's sources were never wrong and this was the first they came upon a problem. Crystal, the fourth member of their group, took the locket to study it. "It's similar to the one in the Berlitz family but it's not exact. In fact, I believe that it was the gifted to the Oak family."<p>

"So he didn't steal it to have a complete set," Blue mused. The locket they were trying to steal back was made as a pair, one aqua and the other turquoise. According to Berlitz the two would combine to reveal the location of a treasure. The turquoise locket was given to the Berlitz family and the other was given to the Oaks almost a hundred years ago. Since then, the families had grown apart. They thought Daisy might've bought the turquoise locket to find the treasure.

"But Daisy was the one that bought the locket and it was given to Green in her will." Crystal pointed out the Blue bite her lower lip, thinking of Green. There was something about him that didn't seem right, something that didn't match what she first thought of him. Would a man like him care about the treasure within the locket?

She had only met him that once to give him her calling card but she could still see him so clearly. She had watched him earlier that night and waited for him to fall asleep. His jade eyes were intense as he worked and there was something enchanting about them. He was tall and muscular for someone that seemed to only concentrate on his work.

"The locket in the will must not have been the Berlitz's locket." Crystal sighed and closed her eyes, trying to think of where the locket could be now. She was confident in Lyra's ability so thought of other possibilities of where the locket could be. She was the logical one of the group and intelligent in her own right. Where could it be then? "How did Daisy die?"

Crystal's head came up and Lyra was already typing away on her laptop. She slammed her hand on her desk when the hospital file came up. After she typed in more codes, she told them. "The hospital says her death was caused by a 'brain tumour' but I found traces of someone else work. Someone corrupted that file and it's going to be hell finding who."

"Foul play," Blue said bitterly beneath her breath. Someone wanted to kill Daisy and make it look like she had died from natural causes. At the moment, they could only guess the motive being the locket. "We need to tell Platina about this and then decide what to do next."

* * *

><p>Green slammed his shoulder against the door in an attempt to free himself from the closet he was trapped in. He had rubbed his wrist raw, untying the roped binding him. He couldn't hear the women so could only guess that they weren't close to the closet. Luckily there was a signal and he was able to call Red. He felt his irritation rise with every time Red failed to pick up.<p>

"I'm sleepy," Red said when he finally answered and Green stopped himself from cheering. He knew that he couldn't let the women outside know that he was able to free himself.

"Red, I'm trap in the museum by two crazy women!" Green rushed an explanation as he continued to throw his body against the door. "Shit, I never thought I'll be asking you for help but you need get here and free me. They're well verse in fighting so don't underestimate them. They tied me up but I was able to free myself so-"

"It's late Green." Red muttered, still mused with sleep. He loved his job but it could physically drain him at times. "We're not kids anymore so why are you trying to play a joke on me? I thought you would come up with a better lie than saying that someone tied you up and threw you in the basement of the museum. I grew up with you so do you think I would believe you'll let someone do that to you?"

Green groaned when Red repeated his story to him and how outlandish it sounded. He leaned against the door just as it opened and stumbled slightly. Blue took the phone from his hand but what confused that she didn't seem to be surprised that he was calling someone. She merely spoke into the phone. "I'm sorry Green woke you, Red. I'll let you sleep, sweetie. You don't need to worry about this call."

She handed him back his phone. He thought they would have another fight but she merely held the locket out to him. "Come with me if you want to find out what really happened to your sister."

* * *

><p><strong>So this is the first chapter to the first book of the new series, Stolen Series, I'm making ^-^ I was honestly going to start with Specialshipping (because I'm in the mood to write them) but I found that it was easier to establish the series with the plot I made for oldrivalshipping. I settled with hinting the next book like crazy.<strong>

****Trick or Treat! You get this chapter early. But I might not post something next week because I'm busy and already have three things in going to post today (maybe two since I'm still working on the Halloween fanfic)****


	2. Vigilantes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

><p>Green followed the woman into the basement of the museum. His mind was racing and he didn't know if he could trust what she said but he wasn't going to take a chance when she mentioned his sister. He was glad to find that the locket she gave him was his sister's and she didn't damage it. He didn't want to risk her pick pocketing him so clutched it in his hand.<p>

"You know, you're more handsome when you smile." Blue decided to tease him to ease the tension surrounding them. She kept her back to him but could see his eyes widen since his expression reflected in the glass cases around them. There was something familiar about her voice but he didn't place it until she turned to face him fully and Green jumped when their eyes met.

"You're the woman I drove to the hospital!" He stated and she laughed at how blunt he was. Her laughter rang like bells as she waved away the issue. He didn't know why his reaction entertained her so much and only gave him a soft comment over her shoulder. Apparently his animated reaction contrasted the cold exterior he showed others.

She turned away from him but he could see her laughing blue eyes in the reflection she saw him in. She didn't have blond hair like when he first saw her so he could only guess that she was wearing a wig when they first met. He had to admit that her brown hair looked more natural on her. He wondered if her brown locks would feel the same as it looked, silk cascading down her back.

He knew that he could place in her in a crowd of women since there was something different about her. She was taller than most women he knew but that wasn't the only thing that held her in his mind. She walked with a confidence he admired. If he saw her in the streets, he wouldn't say that she was the thief that attacked him. But the fact that she lied about her grandfather irked him.

"I'm guessing your grandfather's not really in the hospital," He muttered under his breath. He took time out of his day to be kind and she manipulated him!

"I wouldn't know," She answered him honestly and his head came up at her reply. There was something sad about her tone despite how she smiled at him in the reflection. The moonlight streaming through the skylight didn't help him see her expression as she pulled a key from her pocket. "This is it. My friends and I will tell you what you know and hopefully you'll help us."

There were three women waiting in the basement and they all looked up when he entered. They didn't say anything as a blonde woman stepped in front of him and bowed which shocked him. Her eyes were earnest when she apologized. "I'm sorry on Blue's behalf. We did not mean to steal your sister's locket and it was an honest mistake. I know that she can take things too far but please don't be angry with her."

"You're too sweet, Yellow." Blue laughed since Yellow's morals contrasted her own. She knew that Yellow didn't have the heart for crime so Blue was surprised when she agreed to help Platina. She gestured for Green to sit and pulled out a picture of the turquoise locket they were trying to steal. She studied his reaction to it as she asked, "Do you recognize this?"

"Is there a reason I should?" Green scratched his head and Blue could see that his reaction was honest.

Blue nodded to the other women and Crystal took the picture from Green. They had debated whether they should tell Green about the value of the turquoise locket in the case he didn't know. They decided not to tell him about the treasure if he didn't. "Two years ago this locket was stolen from the Berlitz's estate and we were tasked with retrieving it. We think that your sister bought it and was killed over it."

"Daisy wouldn't buy illegal goods!" Green snapped when they quesioned his sister's character. The second part of Crystal's statement registered and he tightened his hold on the aqua locket to keep himself from losing control. "She died of a brain tumour. I was there for almost every hospital visit and I saw the results of her tests. She wasn't murdered and there was no way someone would want her dead!"

"She did have a brain tumour but that wasn't the cause of her death," Lyra pointed out and Green didn't know why he should believe four strangers. "The tumour was a good cover story for whoever killed her though. I know this is hard to hear but you need to know the truth."

"Why?" He demanded of them. "What do you want from me?"

"We want to help you and in return you help us," Blue answered with a soft tone to calm him. "We're trying to find the locket she bought and you most likely want to know who killed Daisy. Since that person most likely has the locket, we'll both get what we want by finding him. So will you help us find and steal back the turquoise locket?"

"Why should I trust anything you say?" Green asked and a voice behind him answered.

"You don't have to. But we do want the same thing," He turned and widened at the woman that entered. Platina Berlitz. He knew that her family was powerful. He didn't know why a woman like her would associate herself with a group of thieves but she didn't seem to hold any disgust for the women. "Even if finding your sister's murderer doesn't motivate you, I will pay you for your assistance."

"My sister was killed over a stupid piece of jewelry." Green sat at the table and crumpled the picture of the locket in frustration. He knew that greed was often a motive for murder but he thought it would never happen to him or his family. There were still so many things he didn't understand and studied the women in the room. "I don't understand what you're doing."

"My family's safe was broken into and most of our heirlooms were stolen. I want them back." Platina explained. "So we're working to steal them back but since they've been sold illegally it's been hard to track them. We believe that you will be able to help us find the locket though."

"You're vigilantes?" Green laughed bitterly at the thought. "Why didn't you just go to the police?"

"Such things take too much time and are tedious to say the least. I created this problem so I will find a way to fix it without dragging the Berlitz name through the dirt. What will people say if they found that a common thief was able to steal from us? Anyways, I would rather have people I know and trust helping me recover me family heirlooms. I assure you everyone here is very talented."

"I don't know the first thing about stealing or finding a killer," Green admitted after Platina introduced each woman by name. He wasn't a saint so the thought of his sister being killed for something so vain enraged him. He didn't understand the vigilantes in fiction but at the moment he couldn't think of any other way to find the truth about his sister besides working with them.

Platina grinned when Green nodded silently. She tilted sharp eyes at him and threatened, "I don't think that I need to tell you to keep our activities a secret. If I find that you whispered a word about this, I will make life _very_ difficult for you."

* * *

><p>Green didn't doubt her words and it laid heavy over his mind the next day. He couldn't concentrate on his work and even his coworkers seemed worried about him. He hadn't heard from the women since the previous night. He still wondered about them since he didn't know much beyond them than their names. They sent him home after that meeting but he could feel someone following him home the entire time.<p>

He unlocked his door but something seemed off the moment he entered his own home. He ran into his room and found Blue laying on his bed. Her hair was wet and she was leafing through one of his textbook. She barely reacted to his shocked face as she smiled at him. "Welcome home, sweetie. Be a dear and get me a cup of tea. It's been so lonely without someone to bother."

"What are you doing in my home?" Green demanded and she tilted her head at him innocently. Did the woman know any boundaries? "Did you use my shower? You're getting my bed wet with that hair of yours. How did you even get into my house? Why-"

"One question at a time," She laughed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed so she could sit up. "I came to visit you. Yes I did use your shower and it's your fault that I couldn't dry my hair. Who doesn't have a hairdryer? Second, I got into your house the same way I did last time: I used the front door. To answer your last why, it's because Platina told me to watch over you to make sure you behave."

"How long are you going to stay here?" Green asked bitterly as she walked past him into the kitchen, as if she had lived in the house for years. Nothing seemed to faze her as she went through his kitchen and took out a tea kettle. He had to wonder how long she had been in his house since she was able to find where he kept his tea leaves.

"Did you really think that we would let you go when you can easily turn us into the police? I'm staying here until we can trust you." She answered and held out a tea cup to him. "I would think that a man like you would enjoy coffee more than tea. But it's better for me I guess. Platina always says that tea calms the soul but one warm cup is the same as another, I say."

"You can't stay in my home." Green argued but knew that she was the only person that could help him find Daisy's killer so he was at a disadvantage. But he didn't want his personal life invaded by the person that tried to steal from him. "I do have a life of my own, you know? What if one of my friends came by? What would we tell them? I doubt Red would believe that you're some distant cousin."

"We can say that we've fell madly in love and after a sweeping romance, we decided to get married." Blue joked and laughed at how his jade eyes widened. She didn't take it as an insult that he was reluctant since it would be any normal person's reaction. "But since the romance is still so new, we want to have a trial run of living together first."

"That could work but I doubt that Red would believe that I fall in love with a woman so quickly. Everyone was betting that I would die a bachelor except for Daisy. She was sure that I had a heart," Green laughed at the memory of how she tried to push a social life onto him but it became bitter.

"Then that will be our story," Blue tried to ease the pain she could see on his face by smiling brightly. She took a framed picture from her bag and placed it in his bedside table but tilted it away from him. He was confused that it was of a man he hadn't seen before. Who could the redhead be? "I'll leave some of my things here to make it more believable."

"Okay, but I doubt you can watch me the entire time. You must have a job outside of stealing from others." Green pointed out but she waved away his words. "Aren't we supposed to be working together? That's a little hard when we don't trust each other. You don't need to watch over me because I can't turn you in until I find out what really happened to me sister."

"Now there's that 'until' we're worried about." Blue clapped and Green flinched at how she was able to pick apart his sentence. She spoke to him evenly and smiled as if they were discussing something normal. "But if you're really worried about trusting each other I'll play twenty questions with you. That can be your first question. I do have a job. I mainly take care of PR for the museum. I'm a people person."

Green didn't know if she was answering him honestly but he considered the questions he could ask her. She gave him twenty but there was much more to a person than twenty things. He didn't know why he was so curious about her when he should cut any ties to a vigilante. "Are there any rules to the questions I can ask you?"

"You can't ask me anything about my friends," Blue said after a moment. She needed to gain Green's trust but she wouldn't risk him turning in her friends. She knew that what they were doing was illegal but they couldn't sit back while Platina was fretting over her family heirlooms. "And nothing too personal about me of course. Beyond that you can ask whatever you wish."

"How do you know that my sister bought the turquoise locket? I can't see Daisy buying something that was stolen." Green knew in his heart that his sister couldn't be involved in illegal actions. He was sure that she was killed over a misunderstanding. The killer must've mistaken the aqua necklace as the turquoise one like the women had.

Blue took a binder from her bag and placed it on the table before them. "This is everything we've gather about your sister and the turquoise locket. I know this is difficult for you but we tracked the locket to your sister. It had been floating through the underworld until someone bought it. Since it was sent to Daisy's address, we can only assume that she was the one that bought it."

"I need a beer," Green sighed to himself, not knowing how his life had come to this point. His family was powerful but knew that they didn't involve themselves with the scums of the city. Blue pushed a tea cup towards him but he ignored it as he went through Daisy's hospital record. "Arsenic?"

"There were traces of it in her body and we think that someone used it to kill her while she was hospitalized. The doctors didn't see any foul play since they assumed that she died because of her tumour and her blood tests were lost. Luckily Lyra was able to recover it."

Green tried to put a face to the name and guessed that she was the sunny brunette that sat at the computers. "Why kill her if they wanted the locket? Let's say that she did have the locket, which I highly doubt. They need her alive to know where the locket is. The locket in her will was the aqua one passed throughout my family. They've basically doomed themselves."

"She could've known something more." Blue tried not to suggest anything about the woman so Green wouldn't be angry at her. She could only imagine her rage if someone said that her brother was involved in a crime. "They might've killed her for knowing too much. And if they already have the locket, they don't need her."

"This is getting too complicated to follow," Green leaned back and rubbed his temple. When she suggested that he rest to clear his mind, his brow twitched. While they were discussing Daisy, he forgot how Blue forced herself into his home. "And you're not staying here. This is my home and I'll be damned before I let a vigilante under my roof."

"May the damn sleep in peace then," Blue laughed.

* * *

><p>In the end he couldn't force her out of his home and he barely had any sleep the previous night. They argued over who would use the bed and in the end they both stubbornly lay in it. He was acutely away of her throughout the night and couldn't sleep even when he heard her breathing become even.<p>

He forced himself to concentrate on his work. He didn't want to stay in the house with Blue so went into work despite it being his day off. The woman woke something in him and he didn't want to look into it too much. What was it about the woman that made him feel such strong emotions? Usually he would push others with cold indifference.

"Dr. Oak, we have someone for you to meet." Green looked up from his research to see the dean walk in with a woman following him. Green eyes widened when she brushed her dark locks from her eyes and it only took him a moment to recognize her. He stopped himself from blurting her name as she lifted a finger to her lips. "Aqua here just transferred to our university to assist you with your research."

Green didn't hear the rest of the dean's explanation as he studied Blue. Her hair was darker and tied into a bun. Her posture and lab coat were so formal that he didn't recognize her immediately. She wore glasses but when her eyes twinkled at him in the way only Blue's could, he knew it was her.

"What are you doing here, Blue?" He blurted as soon as the dean left.

"That was quick," Green could hear a hint of disappointment in her voice as she took off her glasses. "Not many people can see through my disguises so fast. There goes my master of disguise title. I thought it would be fun to work with you when you didn't know who I was. I find that people treat you differently when they think you're someone else."

"Are you here to make small talk?" Green demanded. Invading his home was one thing but interrupting his work was another. He didn't want any distractions when he was doing his research and she could prove to be just that. He doubted that she actually cared about his work since she merely sat in a chair and studied the white board one of his colleagues was working on.

"You know, it would help you develop that mendicant if you just balance these formulas correctly." She said over her shoulder and his head whipped back to her. He stood next to her and looked over his colleagues work. The compound didn't balance like she said. She told him that was worked as a PR representative so he was surprise she knew about the sciences.

Blue laughed, able to read his eyes. "I took a lot of odd jobs when I was young so I know this and that. Of course I'm no expert like you but I won't get in your way. That's neither here nor there though. I'm actually here to talk to you, not me. We're going on an adventure tonight."

* * *

><p>Green grumbled as he sat in the basement once again. Blue had to go on another theft so she couldn't watch him and keep him from going to the police. They agreed to have him stay in the basement with Lyra and Yellow. It was obvious they didn't trust him and he needed them so he could find Daisy's killer.<p>

"Is there something I can do to help?" Green asked. He didn't want to waste away his night and if he could build a trust between them, they might tell him more about Daisy's killer. He didn't know if he had any skills they needed but he didn't want to sit and do nothing. His eyes naturally met with Blue's and she sighed, able to read his thoughts easily.

"There's not much you can do," Blue pointed out. They already had a set pattern and each member had a set job. Crystal and Blue were the most involved, tasked with stealing the heirloom. Lyra would use her hacking skill to disable any security system and guide them to the heirloom. Yellow was the least involve, merely identifying if it wasn't a fake they stole and rarely left the basement.

"If he wants to help, I can find something for him to do." Lyra was the most trusting out of the four and was welcoming to anyone. She looked around the basement and tried to think of something for him to do while not revealing too much of their activities to him. She clapped and held out a cup to him. "Can you make me some coffee? There's a machine right over there."

Green twitched at being given such a manual task. He knew that they wouldn't give him anything significant to do but he hoped that it was something more than making simple coffee. Even while he was making the coffee, he listened to the women speak to each other. Lyra was going over the layout of the warehouse they were going to steal from.

"I'll tell you when I disable the security system but you should wait outside and watch for a little bit because they have people walking the grounds." Lyra told Blue as she handed her the ear piece. She turned back to her computer and began typing. "I don't even know why people insist on having securities systems. It's save me time and them money if they didn't bother."

"I'm sure the security system is to stop people from stealing their valuables." Green pointed out and handed her the coffee. She took one sip and frowned at the lack of sugar. It was black and the familiar taste was painfully nostalgic. She placed it aside to focus on the computers again, knowing that she had made a choice and needed to see it through.

She typed quickly and Green noted that she wore an engagement ring. He didn't know if it was his place to lecture Lyra so whispered to Blue, "How is she able to do this when she's engaged? I'm sure her boyfriend worries when she leaves in the middle of the night. I doubt he would just say nothing about this if he did know about your crimes."

Lyra's hand came down sharply on the keyboard and Green knew that he said the wrong thing when the other women threw glares at him. He quickly tried to amend the situation but Lyra quickly stood and didn't meet anyone's eyes when she ran from the room with the bluenette chasing her.

"You're coming with me!" Blue eyes flashed with a blue flame and she pulled Green away sharply. He knew that whatever trust he was building with them shattered because of his words. He hadn't meant to offend her but was still curious about her fiancé and how he could know about their thefts. He couldn't fight her when she pulled him out of the museum and led him to her car.

"In," Blue ordered and Green knew that it wasn't his place to argue after the reaction he caused in her friend. He didn't know that his comment would upset her or that she would over hear him asking Blue. He sat in the passenger seat and waited for her to yell at him but he had to admit that he was curious about the woman's reaction.

"Of all the stupid things," Blue muttered under her breath as she started the car. "All you needed to do was make coffee and sit there. We already agreed that we don't want to involve ourselves in each other's lives so please don't go asking us personal thing like that! There is a reason we do what we do and we all had to give up something to help Missy. I know you don't think much of us but we do have a conscious."

"I'm sorry," He saw her hand tightened before they relaxed. Blue had always been able to read people and she could tell that Green was truly apologetic. They sat in the car in silence for a moment and she wondered what she would do with the man next. She didn't want Lyra to force herself to hack anything tonight so texted Crystal to take Lyra home while she tried to steal the heirloom on her own.

"You gave me twenty questions, may I use one?" Green ventured.

"Sure but I'm going to count that as one of the twenty questions. You have eighteen left," Blue tried to ignore his presence next to her and took out a map from beneath her chair. Since she couldn't rely on Lyra, she would have to be more careful and tried to make another plan.

"You said that each of you had a reason for helping Missy and that you all had to give something up to do so. Why are you doing this?" Green knew that was stepping on glass but he wondered what drew her into the life of crime. He needed revenge for Daisy but Blue seemed to be too smart to resort to crime. He wanted to know why she was a vigilante and hopefully find something to trust in her.

"I guess I was born into it," Blue answered as she put away the map. It was a vague answer but Green knew that it was as specific as he was going to get. He didn't know why he was bothering with the twenty questions she gave him when she wouldn't give him a clear answer. "And I want you not to ask the others any question about their personal life. Thought you were smart enough to know that but I guess not."

"I really am sorry," Green repeated and Blue mechanically nodded so he wondered what she thought of his apology. She was so confusing and found himself wanting to get to know her better.

"And you can make it up to us by helping me steal back the mirror taken." Blue started the car and Green's jaw dropped at the thought of stealing something. Blue ignored any protest he made and drove off faster than she usually would to scare him. The man needed to make up for making Lyra cry.

* * *

><p><strong>Man I just love foreshadowing future books for this series XD First Specialshipping and now Soulsilvershipping. I promised myself some time to rest since I was supposed to post three things last week but I didn't finish it or post it in time for Halloween so you get this chapter ^-^<strong>


	3. Through the looking glass

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

><p>"I'm going to jail, aren't I?" Green muttered to himself as he stared at the warehouse they were parked some distance from. The warehouse was some distance from the museum and she would usually have Crystal stay in the car in case they needed to get away quickly. Without Lyra and Crystal, Blue could only trust Green and that wasn't something she could do yet.<p>

"We're only going to jail if we get caught so you don't have to worry about that," Blue told him as she got out of the car and gestured for Green to follow her. She doubted that they would need a getaway car since the warehouse had low security and she didn't want to leave Green alone in the car. "I need someone to watch my back and since I don't have Lyra or Crystal to do it, you'll do."

"You're going to hang that over my head forever, aren't you?" Green muttered and Blue motioned for him to stay quiet. She didn't know how well they could work together but there was no time like the present. He was a biologist so she doubted that he could help her much. She placed the map on Green's lap and pointed to the room where mirror was paced in.

"You know me so well," She said sweetly. He caught her yawn and he wondered how long it had been since she had a proper sleep. He couldn't remember seeing her sleep for more than an hour since they first met. She also said she worked for the museum so she couldn't sleep during the day. Why was she committing herself to this cause to the point that she was neglecting her own health?

After she finished, Blue pulled out a cloak from the back seat and threw it at Green. She placed a blonde wig over her head before wrapping a scarf around herself. "I think Lyra disabled the cameras earlier but we shouldn't take any chances. That cloak should fit you so put it on. The next rotation for the guards is in twenty minutes so we need to be fast about this."

Green still didn't know how his life came to this but he didn't know how to talk her out of stealing the mirror. He didn't recognize the warehouse and wondered what it was used for and who owned it. She didn't give him much information as they drove to the warehouse beside the fact that they were going to steal a mirror. Why was he risking jail for such a silly item?

Blue stopped him just before they were going to scale the fence. He didn't understand why until she touched the aqua locket around his neck and he stepped back. He was worried that it would be stolen again so began wearing it. She frowned at how he stepped back and tucked the locket in his shirt like she first intended to do. She took her scarf from around her neck and wrapped him in it.

"That locket's very rare so if you lose it here or if it's caught on camera, they'll know to look for you. I can't have you telling the police about us when you're arrested. My scarf should cover it well enough." Blue told him as she started to climb the fence. She was taller than most women he knew so he was surprised how graceful and agile she was.

She reached the top and motioned for him to follow her. He was glad that he was athletic and wouldn't embarrass himself in front of her. She clearly expected him to fail but he was determined to find his sister's killer. Her opinion of him shouldn't matter but it did. He reasoned that she would open up to him more if she respected him and didn't think too much on the issue beyond that.

Green jumped down from the fence and landed next to Blue. She nodded to him and ran toward the warehouse, not looking back to see if he followed her. She kept to the shadows and he followed her lead until they reached the door. He was tasked with keeping watch while she picked at the lock. Blue softly swore when she found that the lock was electronic- Lyra's expertise.

"Can't they have old school locks and make this easier for me?" Blue muttered to herself and Green looked over her shoulder to the lock. He wasn't an expert but he might be able to help her with the right tools. She passed him her satchel once he asked if she brought a knife and he wondered if she was actually listening to him as she spoke with Yellow over her earpiece.

Blue looked at her watch and counted off the minutes until the guard would come back. Fifteen minutes, that was still enough time to go in and find the mirror if they could get through the door quickly. Green took a pocket knife from her bag and worked on the screws around the lock. "Yellow, do you think you can try to unlock the door? I know it's not your speciality but Lyra must've shown you how to hack."

"No need, I got it." Green said beside her and the garage door began to open. Her brow raised and he ignored it as he placed the cover over the mechanism. He had to unlock the door manually so it wasn't as proficient as Lyra's hacking but it would do. As long as they didn't open the cover of the lock, they wouldn't be able to tell that he tampered with it.

"My grandfather would show me some of his invention so I know some things about wiring." Green held out the pocket knife to her. "It's not a skill I like to use like this but I guess I really don't have a choice. Red and Gold were also dragging me along to do stupid pranks like this. I've helped them with some of my grandfather's invention. This must be the only time I'm glad they did."

"I thought Lyra made a mistake when she said you had suspensions in highschool," Blue remembered the briefing Lyra gave them on Green while they were preparing to steal from him. She thought that he worked too hard and would be nothing but an arrogant man but he surprised her. With every little conversation between them, she found something new about him.

She didn't let the thought affect her work and quickly searched the warehouse for the mirror. The mirror was decorated with jewels and was going to be sold in an auction under an anonymous seller. They found where the mirror was being kept in until the auction and they only needed to find the crate holding it. They looked for any crates marked 'fragile'.

"I found something," Blue waved Green to her side and showed him the small wooden box that was light enough to be the mirror. Using a knife, they pried open the lid and she brushed away the paper peanuts to reveal the mirror. Even though the light was dim, the jewels were so fine that they reflected the moonlight perfectly. The rubies and sapphires created a rose on the back. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Admire it in the car. We need to leave before the guards come back." Green pointed out and she placed the mirror carefully in her bag. She took out a replica of the mirror and placed it in the box so they wouldn't suspect anything. Green didn't run to the car until he saw her turn to do so as well and she told herself not to read into the action too much.

Blue was glad that they didn't run into any difficulties during their first mission together. She still didn't know if they worked well together since the uneventful mission didn't force them to work together. That wasn't something she could complain about but a small part of her wondered about Green. She shouldn't but she did and that was dangerous to her.

Blue looked at her watch and saw that she still had seven more minutes until the guards returned. She looked back at the warehouse and focused on the office connected to it. Maybe she could find who sent the mirror to the warehouse and ultimately who stole Missy's heirlooms.

Green was confused when she didn't climb the fence and handed him her bag and a key instead. "You go and wait in the car. I'm going to see if I steal some of the records and find who shipped the mirror here. It shouldn't take too long but if I don't come back in five minutes, drive back to the museum."

"Are you crazy? We don't have time to go back," He said in a harsh whisper. "We have the mirror so we can go back. If we stay any longer we might get caught and I can't find my sister's killer in jail."

"And _I_ can't find the person who stole Platina's heirlooms in jail." Blue shot back in a whisper, "I have just as much to lose as you do and if you don't want to take that risk, go to the car like I told you to. I've been doing this much longer than you have so I won't get caught. This argument is wasting my time."

She didn't listen to anything he said next, just turned and ran back to the warehouse and he watched her for a moment. Why did she want to help Platina so passionately? He doubted that Platina's money was what motivated her since she didn't even mention it in their arguments. Chasing after her that first time was what pulled him into the world of vigilante but he found himself doing so again.

Blue was glad that the office had a simple lock that she could pick with her hairpin. It took her less than thirty seconds to do so and she gently closed the door behind her. It was a small room and left little places for someone to hide. Her childhood thefts had taught her to decide on a hiding place before actually stealing anything.

She closed the curtains so the guards couldn't see into the room and took out a flashlight from her pocket. She found a ledger inside one of the desk and searched for the name connected to the mirror. The person must've left a return address or something else to led her to the person that stole from Missy. One of the entries caught her attention because of the name and she took a picture of it just as the door opened.

"Blue?" Green whispered when he entered the room and looked into the seemingly empty room. He didn't know why he went back for her since he knew that she was able to take care of herself. She had said herself that she had been stealing for a long time. He was in the car, debating if he should listen to her instruction or chase after her when he unconsciously went back for her.

"Are you crazy?" Blue came out from beneath the desk and her angry whisper made him wince. He came to her side as she crossed her arms and walked towards him to meet him half way. "You were supposed to wait in the car! Why did you even come back? I was going to head back to the car anyways so we better hurry before the guards come back."

As if her words had cursed them, she could see the light of the guard's flashlight trickle through the curtain and motioned for Green to stay quiet. At the same time, Green dragged her beneath the table she had been hiding beneath previously. The area was small so he had to press her close to his body to hide from the guard that entered the room.

Blue counted the footsteps and the act made the sleep deprived fatigue weigh on her more. It didn't help that Green's arms around her was warm and comforting in a way she never experienced before. The only thing keeping her from falling asleep was the rapid beating of Green's heart in her ear. She couldn't fall asleep on a mission.

Green's heart beat was so loud in her ear that she knew the exact moment he let out a sigh of relief and his heartbeat slowed. The guard left, closing the door behind him and Green didn't think he was suspicious of anything. He realized that Blue was still in his arms and thought that she might've fallen asleep. After a moment, she turned away from him and sat away from him so he didn't say anything.

"Why did you come back?" Blue asked to herself since she was trying to piece together his thought process. She was able to predict and manipulate people easily but that didn't seem to be the case with Green. She stared at him for a moment before she realized something. "Where's my bag?"

"I left it in the car," He explained and she gawked at his answer. She couldn't believe that he left her bag unattended when it had the mirror in it! She would usually wait ten minutes before going back to the car in case the guard returned but she couldn't risk leaving the mirror alone any longer. She wanted to chastise him but couldn't yell at him so instead dragged him behind her.

Green knew she was angry but he didn't know why he was always having that effect on her. While he had women chase him in highschool, he didn't pay them much attention to them and he knew he came across as cold to others. He didn't care if he people thought that of him but he found himself caring now.

"I'll drive," Green said when he caught her yawn again. He could see the doubt in her eyes and ignored it as he climbed into the driver's seat before she could. They glared stubbornly at each other since both were hesitant to give power away to another. "You're too tired to drive and I would rather not be in a car crash. Just trust me to drive back to the museum, okay?"

"I don't trust you." Even with those words, she slid into the passenger's seat and pulled off her wig. She didn't know why she felt comfortable with him and the safety she felt next to him allowed herself to rest. Her mind was telling her to keep on her guard but her body became lax despite those thoughts. "Where did you leave my bag?"

"Under your chair," he told her as he started the car. She nodded and was glad that he had the good sense to hide it. She took out the mirror and studied it but the glass was cold beneath her fingers. It could easily sell for a million dollars because of the gems decorating it and thought how something like it would tempt her years ago. But she was different now and her reflection told her that.

"You can go to sleep. I'll wake you when we're there," Green told her as she wrapped the mirror and placed it in her bag again. She thought over his answer and weighed her options. While she was tired, she didn't know if she could trust him not to betray her. While they needed each other, their goals were very different. He wanted revenge for his sister and she wanted redemption for her past sins.

Blue clutched the bag in her arms and leaned back against the chair. If he did try to take the bag from her, she would feel it and wake. With that compromise, she closed her eyes and rested her body. She didn't know why a simple mission made her so tired since she been on so many that it shouldn't affect her. The car's gently movement rocked her to sleep.

"What am I going to do with you?" Green whispered to himself as he watched her from the corner of his eyes. It was already obvious to him that they would be spending a lot of time with each other but he didn't know how to feel about her. He wondered what he would do after he found Daisy's killer. He knew turning her into the police would only damn himself but she was committing a crime.

She hugged the bag tighter to herself as she slept and he was surprised at the thought that came to him. Blue looked almost innocent while she slept. He knew of the crimes she did but staring at her in the moonlight, she looked almost fragile. He wondered what he would think of her if they had met under any other circumstances.

Concentrating on the road ahead, he decided to think about what to do next once he crossed that bridge. How far ahead that bridge was, he didn't know and that worried him.

* * *

><p>"Did you really need to argue with Crystal?" Blue sighed once she entered Green's apartment. She collapsed on his couch and he stood above her, ready to defend himself. They had returned to the museum to give Yellow the mirror but Crystal was there as well and read Green the riot act for making her twin cry. Not wanting to be made the villain, he argued that he couldn't possible know he would upset her.<p>

"Crystal's very protective of Lyra so the fastest way to piss her off is to hurt Lyra. You said you wanted our trust so you need to stop doing things like argue with them," Blue told him and he raised a brow at her words. She was helping him? He didn't know if she said it as a joke since her face was turned towards the couch and her eyes were closed.

"Do you have any more warnings for me? Are there any subject I should know not to bring up?" Green asked her. He didn't know if she would answer him since she was closer to the women than she was with him and she already told him that she wouldn't put her friends at risk. "I don't want any more discord between us. If I knew I would upset Lyra, I would never have brought up her ring."

"Just use the rule of thumb I gave you: ask us nothing." Blue waved away his question and he could see that her gestures were slow. For the first time, he noticed the bags under her eyes and remembered how tired she was in the car.

"Can I use another question? When was the last time you slept?" He asked her and she nodded but her eyes never focused on his when she turned on her side to face him. He wondered if it was his place to ask her as he studied her face. He was shocked when she only shrugged. Had it been so long that she didn't even remember the last time she slept? "You should sleep."

"I can't," She whispered to him but she pulled her legs closer to her body. He watched her for a moment as her breathing became slower. He almost laughed at how she fell asleep so quickly after she said she couldn't. The woman was stubborn but seeing this vulnerable side of her endeared him for a reason he couldn't name. It seemed that he was learning something about her every day.

"I guess this can't be helped," Green told himself as he lifted her from the couch. She would be uncomfortable sleeping in her clothes and sleeping on the couch couldn't help that. The least he could do to make her comfortable was move her onto his bed. She was helping him find his sister's killer and Red told him small acts of kindness could build trust.

He couldn't remember the last time he had to tuck a woman into bed before and thinking that made his movements awkward. He remembered how his sister would care for him while he was sick and mimicked her gesture by pulling a blanket over Blue. His fingers brushed over the strands of hair that fallen over her cheek and he brushed them away from her face.

He looked at the clock on his bedside table and saw that it was still late at night. It wasn't too late so Green thought that he could work on developing the new drug. He didn't know why the thought of sleeping with her unnerved him but he knew that he couldn't leave her in his room by herself either. Who knew what she would find if she went through his room unsupervised?

He started pulling away him but something caught his attention. Beside his clock was a framed photo Blue had left there. He didn't really think too much on it in the past but now he found himself curious. She carried the photo in her bag so it must be important to her and only left it behind to forge a lie about them living together in case one of his friends visited him.

Green looked over the photo and recognized Blue immediately despite her being in her teens in the photo. She wore a princess costume and had her arms around another boy that he didn't recognize. The boy looked slight irritated in the photo but he had a slight blush which led Green to wonder about their relationship. He knew he couldn't ask her so put the photo back on his bedside table.

"We took that picture at Pokeland," Blue mumbled next to him and for a moment he thought she was awake. She had woken slightly when she felt the bed dip when he sat next to her. She rubbed her eyes but let sleep take over her again. "My brother had so much fun and I'm glad I was able to take us there. I had to save up money forever for that but he had fun. I miss him so much…"

Her words trailed off and he tried to pick apart her words. She had a brother, which shocked him since she spoke so little of her past. He wondered if she would've told him as much as she did about the photo if she wasn't in a sleep induced daze. Green stared at the boy and wondered where he was now and how long they had been apart since he could hear the pain in her voice when she said she missed him.

Daisy came to mind and he unconsciously stroked Blue's hair. It was strange to say that he was becoming closer to a thief but he couldn't find any other words to call it. "I hope you get to see him again."

* * *

><p>Blue could feel Green's eyes on her as they sat together in the café in the university. She had the vaguest memory of speaking to him but couldn't recall about what since she so tired. She couldn't remember the last time she slept so deeply. The sun was already high in the sky when she woke to the sound of Green typing on his laptop.<p>

After she woke, Green said that he needed to head to the university to test some of the plants he gathered and they headed there after she changed. She didn't know why he let her sleep in or even waited for her to wake before heading to the university. When she said she wanted to grab something to eat, he grumbled but sat across from her in the café.

"I should've just left before you woke." Green grumbled to himself and when she asked why he didn't, he answered. "You did say you were order to keep an eye on me. If I left without you, you'll get mad at me and probably find a way to embarrass me at work."

"You know me so well," Blue laughed since the thought of messing him was tempting and thought of several things she could do as she drank her tea. They couldn't eat in his lab so he gestured for her to finish quickly. "How long do you think you'll be staying in the lab? I have a conference later tonight but it's at the museum so I think you can stay and watch look at the exhibit."

"Should you really be pushing yourself?" Green asked and he wondered why he was even caring about her health. They were only using each other to find a common person so he shouldn't but he did. He touched the locket around his neck to remind himself that he needed to find Daisy's killer. She stared into her tea cup before smiling at him and told him not to worry.

"We should get going now. I'm sure Lyra will have something about your sister and the person after your locket by tonight." Blue told him and he nodded. He didn't have any classes today and he thought about asking the others about Blue's brother. If he could help her reunite with him, she might trust him more and tell him more about his sister's killer.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't know why I'm foreshadowing SoulSilvershipping so much when they're the last book I'm going to write XD Maybe I'm just a sadist that wants to make you wait forever :P I'm just in a SoulSilvershipping and Specialshipping mood I guess.<strong>


	4. Keeping Secrets from a Friend

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

><p>"I'll be back in a couple hours to pick you up. Just don't leave the museum," Blue told him and Green felt as if he was a child being left at the mall. He was a grown adult yet she didn't trust him to not leave the museum and go to the police. She punctuated that thought with a whisper. "And we will know if you leave this museum."<p>

"We have a special exhibit on Wallace's work." Yellow, who was standing beside them, suggested and her eyes sparkled at the thought of the paintings. Art was a passion of hers and she would do anything for the museum. It was her haven that she likened to a forest of knowledge and beauty. Even art piece held a piece of the artist and she wanted to preserve that. "Crystal's the curator here so she'll show you around."

"Art isn't really my thing," Green said honestly and Blue quickly hushed him when she saw Platina walk towards them. Platina was an advocate for the arts and donated to the museum. On top of that she was also a consultant, helping them organize events. If he angered Platina, she would most likely take things into her own hands. The woman had connections that rival even Blue's.

Green was focused on the man standing next to Platina though. "Red?"

"What are you doing here Green?" Red was surprised to see his friend since he never showed an interest in art or history. The man barely left his laboratory and didn't have much of a social life. It was a miracle that they kept contact as well as they did after highschool. Their professions were very different and Red's job made him travel often.

"If you wish to speak with your friend, you're free to do so." Platina said to him and Red was shocked that she said so since her parents always insisted that she be guarded. Red knew that Dia and Pearl were more than enough to protect her but didn't want to risk his job. Platina brushed her hair away from her face so Green could read the coldness in her eyes. "Should I not trust you?"

_She's testing me_, Green could read her thoughts. Red would most likely think she was questioning if would leave the museum and risk his job but Green knew otherwise. She wanted to see if he would confine in his friend about the vigilantes working under her. Green didn't know what she would do if he did tell Red about her heirlooms but he wouldn't risk Red losing his job.

"Does your hand still hurt?" Green changed the subject and Red rubbed the back of his head. Red would often take jobs protecting prominent figures throughout the world and during one he injured himself. He thought about retiring but the Berlitz family suddenly offered him a job protecting their daughter a couple years ago. "After what happened I think you should rest."

"After what happened…" Blue trailed off, curious about what could happen to the man. That sounded like the beginning of a character conflict for a romance novel and her meddling tendency couldn't help but create a storyline for Yellow and him. She turned to whisper to the woman but found that Yellow was already gone. She couldn't find her before Platina gestured for her to follow her to the meeting.

"Remember what I told you Greenie," Blue teased him before she walked away from him. She made a note to herself to ask Lyra to look into Red's past. She wondered what kind of a man he was since Green considered him a close friend. From what she saw from their time together, he didn't give out his respect easily and she likened that to how Missy only told her name to people she respected.

Red waited until he saw Platina leave before turning to Green. He wanted to speak to Green about a concern he had but he didn't feel comfortable about telling him over the phone. Both Pearl and Dia were loyal to Platina so he didn't know if he could open up to them. So he planned to meet Green later in the week so was glad that they were able to meet now.

"I'm worried about how Missy would leave in the night," Red confined in Green. "I think Pearl and Dia know about it as well because they would never let me check on her during the night. I never see her leave but my gut is telling me that something's wrong. I have no solid proof so if I do go to her parents it's my word against hers. I want to protect my client but she's hiding something from me."

Green knew exactly what she was hiding but he bit his tongue. Red might not be the most intelligent person but he was very observant and noticed the action. Green wanted to help him but he couldn't do that just yet. After he found his sister's killer, he would tell Red… and then Blue would go to jail. Green ran his hand through his hair and sighed at the conflicting emotions in him.

"I'm just worried because I've seen some shady people outside the estate lately." Red added. He studied the people around them again to make sure that no one was listening. There was a blonde figure behind a display but he couldn't see her clearly. Red leaned closer to Green so only he could hear him. "There's a rumour that some of the Berlitz's heirloom had shown up in the black market."

"Did you hear anything about a locket?" Green asked. He knew that Red had helped in several investigations while protecting working as a bodyguard and made connections in the police force. He didn't know how much Red could tell him but he hoped it was enough to help find his sister's killer. The faster he could solve the mystery of her murder, the faster he could return to his normal life.

"A locket?" Red thought over the rumours he heard the other bodyguards whisper. There were many rumours about how the heirlooms came into the procession of the underworld but none really knew how. He vowed to never involve him in his client's affair but it was his job to protect the Berlitz heir, even if he needed to protect her from herself. "Why are you asking me about a locket?"

"The Oak and Berlitz family have some history." Green evaded his question. He trusted Red but didn't want to involve him with the vigilantes. "Our family was given a locket, I hold the aqua one and the lady has the turquoise one. It's not really that important so don't look too much into it, okay? You know what happened the last time you tried to help a client. Just focus on healing."

"The best way to heal is to work," Red said with his trademark smile that Green only frowned at. Red never seemed to know his limits and would push himself to protect others despite how it would place a strain on his own body. "There's nothing wrong with me. The doctor gave me a clean slate of health."

"This doctor doesn't believe that," They started their usual banter thought Green couldn't laugh as easily as he usually could. He wanted to deter his friend but that would only make Red question him more. "I worry about you Red. If your body tells you it needs rest, you have to rest."

"Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?" Red joked to avoid the issue at hand.

He decided to stop their conversation since he saw the blurry blonde figure behind the display shift and he wondered if she was listening to them. He had been watching her to see what she would do but she never came out from behind the glass. Green said something to him and Red only turned away for a moment but she was gone by the time he looked back.

"I'm sure you're worried about nothing," Green tried to calm Red's suspicions. "People are always creating rumours and I'm sure they're not true. Platina could be going out to meet a lover for all we know and that seems like the most logical reason. The Berlitz are a respectable family with a long history so I doubt they'll be involved in the mafia."

"You're probably right," Red nodded but he couldn't shake the gut feeling he had. The last time he didn't fallow his gut, he almost got himself killed. There knew there was something more to what Green was telling him and he would solve the mystery of where Platina went at night. It his job as a bodyguard to protect his client and he would not repeat his past mistakes.

"Since we're here, why don't we go see the exhibit?" Green suggested. He couldn't leave the museum and he hadn't spoken to Red for a long time so it was a good opportunity to catch up. Red nodded and they wondered through the museum without actually studying anything.

* * *

><p>"Did you and Red have a nice conversation?" Blue asked later that night as they sat in the basement of the library. He didn't get a chance to answer her since she gave him a reply that made him twitch. "What happened to him that you need to be worried about his hand? I guess I have to be patient to see how his story turns out, don't we?"<p>

"Do you need to treat my friend like a character in a book? He's a human being and I won't have you manipulate him and drag him into this mess with me," Green gave her a threatening glare but she had seen so many of them that they didn't affect her anymore. She was still alive despite all of the resentment she faced, wasn't she? "We're here to discuss my sister, not Red."

"We're here to discuss my heirlooms," Platina corrected. She wouldn't allow the man to think that he could demand anything of them. She was a prideful woman and easily took control of a situation. "Now Lyra, what have you found about the locket? Did you find if it was sent to Mrs. Oak by mistake or if there is another reason to believe that she is innocent in this?"

"Daisy is innocent," Green slammed his fist on the table and Blue didn't know why Platina was antagonizing Green when he could help them. She could understand her doubt about Green's loyalty but he wanted to find the person who killed his sister just like they do. Blue could only imagine what she would do if someone killed Silver and people called him the villain.

"She is innocent," Blue agreed and Green turned sharply to her. Out of all the women there, he was surprised that she was the first to take his side. He wouldn't complain that she did and he was actually glad for it. With everything that happened to him the past couple days, he was glad to see that the entire world hadn't turned on him and there was still hope of finding his sister's killer.

"But we still need to find who is guilty." Crystal leaned against the table and looked over her sister's shoulder. They found the locket once so they could do it again. "I'm worried about one thing. Why would they kill Daisy and take the turquoise locket without trying to take the aqua locket as well? We thought she might've wanted Missy's locket to have both."

"They didn't know she had the aqua locket," was the obvious answer to Green. His mind was already rationing the events that led to his sister's death. It was a mistake that his sister got the locket and she paid for that mistake with her life. Green just wanted to get his hands on the man that caused that mistake and replay him ten folds.

"Then whoever has the turquoise locket must want the aqua one as well." Yellow said and could see the realization on Lyra's face as she thrust a sketchpad at her. She didn't understand why Lyra would hand her the sketchpad until she started to explain quickly.

"We can draw him out with your locket!" Lyra suggested. "Yellow can make a copy we can put up for sale. With Yellow's talent, none of them would know the difference. After we get the information of everyone interested, Blue and Crystal can go through their homes to see if they have the locket. I'll only need their phone number and I'll know everything else about them."

Green knew that snapping at her twice would make Crystal angrier with him but he couldn't believe the simplicity of her plan. "I'm not going to risk losing my locket. There are people who ignore the ad and just come to my home to steal it. If they were willing to kill my sister, they'll do the same to me. I work with students as well and I'm not going to risk their lives."

"I wasn't going to put your information on the ad." Lyra didn't know what the man thought of her intelligence but it was obvious he didn't think much of it. She was the youngest in the group but she was bright and gifted with computers. "I was going to make an alias and have them meet Blue in another location. She's a master a disguise so you don't have to worry about anyone recognizing her."

"I want to be the one to meet them too," Green insisted. He was a good judge of character and he wanted to be involved in the investigation. Blue shook her head and Green didn't understand so demanded a reason. To be honest, he was insulted when she answered him.

"It'll be better if I go alone. Men tend to underestimate me so it'll be easier for me to get information out of him if I go alone." He worked with many women and respected each one so he didn't like her generalization. "You can come and watch but it'll be better if there wasn't a large man trying to stare down at him and demanding answers."

"Fine," Green hated how little he could do. He was the outsider in the group and he needed to find a place where he belonged. He quickly shook that thought since he knew he wouldn't be a part of their group for long and didn't need to concern himself too much.

"Then I'll start by making a copy of the locket," Yellow was already sketching a mold to make the locket. She thought of asking Green if she could study his locket but she doubted that he would let her so decided to draw it by memory. She had a good memory and already studied it when Blue first stole it. She was glad that she was able to help them with her talent.

"I'll call you when someone contacts me about the locket," Lyra told them and the pair nodded to her. As much as he hated it, right now they could only wait and hope Daisy's killer took the bait. Blue was already thinking of several things they could do. She hated to revisit the places of her past but there didn't seem to be a choice if she wanted to find the locket quickly.

* * *

><p>"Aren't these beautiful?" Blue held up two different earrings to her ears, one a flower and the other a tear drop, and tilted her head up to Green. They were at a jeweler but Blue never explained her sudden insistence to seeing one. He watched her study various charms before handing them back to the jeweler. At first Blue told him to wait outside but Green insisted on following her.<p>

"They're just not what I was thinking of getting for my little sister." Blue sighed to herself and Green didn't know how lies could so easily fall from her lips. He didn't know why she was even bothering to lie to the stranger about why she was interested in the jewellery. As far as he knew, she only had a brother whose whereabouts were still unknown.

"Her eyes are a wonderful shade of blue and green, almost turquoise." Blue pretended that she was musing to herself but studied the reaction of people around her. "I want to get her something to match that but it seems like no matter how hard I look, I can never find it. And here I was prepared to pay any amount to get it. I'll guess I have to settle on getting her socks."

"Is there a specific type of jewellery you wanted to give your sister?" The jeweler behind the desk asked her and Blue pretended to be shocked by his sudden words. She could all but see the dollar signs in his eyes. "I'll be happy to find you what you're looking for. There's a finder's fee of course but I'll give you a generous rate if it's for your sister's birthday."

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble," Blue said sweetly and Green didn't know why her doing so angered him. It was obvious that she was trying to find information on the turquoise locket and he wished that she would've told him that earlier. She hadn't even discussed doing so at the meeting or while they were walking back to his home either. She just pulled him along and he found himself following.

"I think she'll like a locket," Blue mused and started to scribble a design on a piece of paper the jeweler gave him. Green looked over her shoulder and wanted to caress the little knot on her forehead. She was concentrating on picture she was drawing and he had to admit he found her expression enticing. Her sketch on the other hand made him chuckle.

"You work at an art museum and you can't draw?" Green couldn't hold back a haughty laugh. He watched her excel at so much that finding something she struggled in shined her in a different light. She puffed her cheeks at him and he placed a hand over her head before he could think better of it. "Give me that pen, I can probably draw it better than you."

His attempt only made Blue laugh since he was so confident that his drawing would be better than hers. Green placed their sketches beside each other and told her that his was better which she argued hers was the superior sketch. She laughed at how confident he was. She knew her art skills weren't the best and his skills were on par with hers but she continued to tease him.

"If you want a locket custom made, we can arrange for that as well." The jeweler interrupted them and they turned away from each other. Blue was surprised that arguing with Green was so enjoyable that she forgot why she was at the jewellery shop. His face was turned away from hers so she didn't know if he had the same thought.

"I would rather have something that's already made since making a custom locket would take too much time. If you can find a locket with a similar design to this and a turquoise in the center I would pay you any amount you want. No price is too much for making my sister happy! If you do find anything like this, please call me."

"Will do," He nodded to her. Even though she smiled back to the jeweler, Green could see that it didn't reach her eyes. She took Green's hand and pulled him out of the shop. She kept looking over her shoulder as they left the shop and when they were far enough away, Blue let out a relieved breath. It didn't seem like anyone recognize or followed them.

"How do you know they'll be able to help us?" Green asked her in a low voice when they stopped. Once again, she looked back to see that no one was answering before she answered him. There was still so much he didn't know about her and this was just one more question for him.

"That store is known for selling stolen goods and if it's for enough money, they'll find the turquoise locket. Sometimes we need to reply on those types of people to find the heirlooms. I don't like involving the others with these places so can we keep this between us? It'll be like our own little secret."

"We seem to be sharing a lot of secrets lately," Green didn't agree fully but he acknowledged it as a secret so that was enough for her. She turned away from him to continue to his house but he stopped her with a hand on her arm. "But how do _you_ know about that place and that they sell stolen jewellery?"

"Are you using another one of your twenty questions?" She asked and he hesitated before nodding. She might not the highest moral but she was one to keep her word. She pulled her jacket around her tighter unconsciously but it was enough to hide herself from his steady gaze. "My brother was hungry and we needed the money."

She didn't elaborate beyond that and he tried to piece together her story. She kept giving him half answers and he wondered if she would ever give him a full one. He wouldn't even know she had a brother if she hadn't been talking in her sleep the previous night. She ignored the pleading in his eyes to tell him more and walked back to his home.

* * *

><p>Green sat at his desk, listening to Blue's humming through the open door between his bedroom and the living room. She was on her laptop and she told him she was doing work for the museum when he tried to look over her shoulder. He was worried that she wouldn't tell him when she found something new about his sister's killer. She didn't tell the others about the jewellery shop and they were much closer to each other.<p>

There was an open door between them but staring at her rigid back made him the short distant feel like an eternity away. It was getting late and he went to his closet to get a pillow to use. He didn't want another fight with her so decided to sleep on the couch after hiding everything personal to him. He thought about how they lightheartedly argued over their drawing ability.

Thinking of it distracted him and he pulled the pillow from closet such that it caused the blankets to fall as well. He twitched when he heard laughter behind him and he didn't need to turn to know that it was Blue. He swore at how she always seem to catch him making a fool of himself. Throwing the blanket over his arm, he said. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight but you'll sleep there tomorrow."

"Well aren't you the gentleman?" Blue laughed and took one of the blankets still on the ground and helped him fold it. She ignored his thanks and placed the blanket back in its place. "I was actually looking forward to arguing with you about who gets the bed. But I guess it all leads to same result so this just saves me time."

Blue noticed his gaze fall on the picture frame as he set took his notebook lying next to it. He didn't seem to shock by the image in it and she wondered why he looked like he pitied her in the photo. He couldn't possibly know what the memory meant to her but thinking that made her self-conscious. She didn't think that he would care enough to study the photo.

She turned the frame away from him and took the picture out so she could place it in her wallet. "We should have another photo in here if we want people to believe that we've been dating. I'm sure it'll take some time before Lyra or the jeweler find any hints of where the locket is so we might as well relax. How about we go out for a little bit and see what we can find on our own."

Green nodded, knowing that it would be best if he followed her lead. Blue nodded in reply and admitted that she was tired so laid back on the bed. She pulled the blanket over her as she whispered goodnight. What shocked her more than him repeating the parting was that he didn't close the door between his bedroom and the living room.

* * *

><p><strong>I love the relationships between the pokedex owners and the BrOTPs but I can never pin down Red's and Green's friendship just right. I always feel like I write them too generic compared to how I write the friendship of the other characters T^T I guess I just feel like Gold and Silver have a closer and more dramatic friendship<strong>

**also, I'm not going to have a chapter next week because I'm really too busy. I have four large projects to finish and five final exams to prepare for. I've been so busy that even though I make these chapters a week ahead of time, it's still hard to have these weekly updates. Thank you for understanding ^-^**


	5. Family for Lost Souls

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

><p>"Are you going to sleep forever?" Blue pulled at the blanket Green jerked over his head in an attempt to continue to sleep. He was a light sleeper but for the previous days he hadn't been able to rest and this seemed to be another sleepless night for him. He groaned when she huffed and sat on his back to annoy him. "I won't get up until you do so I suggest you wake up. We have work."<p>

Green groaned and moved the best he could with her sitting on his back. He looked at the clock he placed beside the couch and groaned louder when he saw that it was almost midnight. He couldn't help but remember that Blue hadn't slept like him and she must've done so for a longer time. A competitive person like him couldn't lose to her so tried to force himself to wake.

Blue grinned when she felt Green shift beneath her, thinking that she won. So she was taken back when Green's arm came around her waist and he pulled her beneath the covers. He hugged her to keep her from lashing out at him with her arms and muttered to himself. "I have to work tomorrow so I'm not going on another mission to steal whatever you're planning to steal unless it has to do with my sister."

"It _is_ about your sister," Blue rolled her eyes when Green reacted like she predicted. He sat up sharply, almost pushing her off the couch but quickly caught her before she could fall. She knew it was the quickest way to wake him so she thought the white lie was necessary. He quickly went into his room to change and she went to make him coffee.

"Did you find anything new?" Green asked as he walked into the kitchen, pulling on a shirt. Blue's back was facing him so he couldn't see her eyes and worried that she once again lied to him since she didn't answer him immediately. She merely held out a cup of coffee to him and gave him a charming smile. He wondered why he was bothering to work with her when she continued to tell him half truths.

"That should wake you up. Have anyone ever told you that you're a grumpy person in the morning?" Blue joked as if he hadn't asked her a question and Green wondered if she would even answer him if he repeated himself. "We're going back to the jeweller to see what they've found. A big scary guy like you should be able to make them talk easily."

"Do you give other men such wonderful compliments?" He asked in a flat tone and she laughed at how there was no insult in his eyes, only slight annoyance. She had been dragging him along on her missions and despite all of his complaints, he had helped her. He drowned the cup of coffee and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "So what are we stealing now?"

"I told you that it was for your sister, didn't I? Maybe I should make you another cup of coffee to wake you up fully." Blue looked at her watch and saw that it was past midnight. "It's been a couple days since we talked to the jeweller so I think that they've probably found something. There should be someone there at this time that we can… talk to."

"Promise me that if we ever become enemies, you'll never 'talk' to me." Green saw the menacing glint in her eyes and had to wonder how she would question the poor soul at the jewellery store. If she had that glint in her eyes from thinking about questioning a man, he didn't know what she would do to him. They needed each other until they found who had he aqua locket but after that he was a liability.

"Are you so certain that we'll be enemies by the end of this? That's a shame since I thought we were becoming great friends. I'm already making you coffee in the morning," Blue pouted at him and Green didn't know if she was joking entirely. He didn't know why they were always in that space between friendship and rivalry. "I'm sure you haven't woke to a woman making you coffee in forever."

"Forever and a day," Green agreed and his frown deepened. The last time someone had made him coffee was when he collaborated with his sister and grandfather. Those times seemed so far away now and a small part of him feared losing that memory. He was human and memories, no matter how important, tended to fade with time. "You put too much sugar in here."

"A spoon full of sugar to sweeten the heart," Blue told him softly. She would've teased him a different tone but the faraway look in his eyes told her that he was reminiscing about something. She didn't know if he was thinking of a past relationship or something else but knew that it lay heavy on his heart so it wasn't the time to tease him. "If you're really too tired to go, I can go by myself."

"I just drank coffee. I can't fall asleep after that, can I?" Green pointed out as he shrugged on a jacket. Her scarf was hanging next to his jacket and he passed it to her. She wore it every time they went on a mission and he remembered how she gave it to him during their first. It was warm and worn beyond its year but she was careful as she wrapped it around her neck.

"I'm ready," Blue turned to face him and she was taken back when his hand touched the edge of her scarf. If anyone else had touched it, she would've hit him but there was something comforting in his touch. He gently eased the strands of hair out from where it was caught in her scarf. She stepped away from him even before he dropped his hand. "If you want a scarf like mine, you should've asked."

"It would've been a bother if your hair got in the way when we're out." Green tried to explain his action. "C'mon, let's go before whoever you're thinking of talking to leaves."

* * *

><p>Blue watched the jewellery shop from the shadows across the street. The dim light from the lamp in the window told her that there was still someone inside and with her binoculars she could see that it was the owner. The last person she wanted to face again but it was the best chance to find the information she needed. After putting on a wig, she adjusted her scarf so that it covered her face more.<p>

"Let me ask him all the questions and whatever you do, don't call me by my first name." Blue ordered him and Green once again wondered what her connection to the jewelry store was. He only had sixteen questions left and he didn't want to waste one since he doubted she would answer him fully. "Too bad we can't get Lyra to cut the power. Is it too much to hope your grandfather taught you how to do that?"

"My rebellious stage didn't include mass burglary," Green admitted on a sigh and she laughed at his response. He didn't know why but he couldn't help but think her beautiful when she did that. She looked more relaxed and it looked more natural than her usual teasing smile. She stood and motioned for him to follow her as she crossed the street without having any of the streetlight touch her.

He had to wonder how long she and the other women had been vigilantes since her movement were so finesse and practised. He knew they haven't been together long but he still knew too little about her to trust her. Couldn't life just give him a break and showed him that he was right in following her?

Blue whistled softly but it was enough to catch his attention and when he looked up, she motioned for him to follow her. That wasn't the sign he was looking for but he doubted that he would get another answer more concrete. Pushing his worries to the back of his mind, he ran across the street to her side and she was already kneeling next to a back door.

"Green, you should stand there so he can't see you. Hope this still works," Blue muttered to herself after she gave him the order. Holding her breath, not knowing if she wanted to go through with her plan or not. She needed to find the locket and she doubted Green would let her leave now. With a resigned sigh, she took her earrings and placed them in a bag that she slipped under the door.

She strained her ears to hear beyond the thick door and prepared a handkerchief she brought with her. In her mind, she was ready to attack the shop owner but not the little urchin that stepped out of the shop. And the boy just had to stare up at with large silver eyes that reflected fear. He had never met her before so he shouldn't be afraid of her but she knew that the weariness of life could break even a child's trust.

Wordlessly, she took the boy's hand and pulled him to Green. Green couldn't understand her reaction to seeing the boy as she pushed him into his arms. She pulled a notebook from her bag and quickly wrote an address on it before giving it to him. "Take him to this address and tell Crystal to look after him. I'll deal with the shop owner by myself."

The boy started to protest but she turned away before he could and walked into the jewelry store. The boy was obviously confused but Green didn't have any answer to give him. Even with that fact, he knew he had to focus on the imp and knelt in front of him. He gave the boy a stern command, "I need to go in there and help her but I want you to stay here. Do you understand?"

Green didn't like the fear and confusion in his eyes but there was nothing he could do until he asked Blue why she suddenly went into the shop alone. If the kid left by the time he was finished, he was sure the kid would return to his parents. Parents, that should've known better to let their kid roam the streets and were probably worried about their son.

Blue left the door open so he was able to follow after her. He almost ran into her back where she stood not a few steps into the doorway. Her hand was clenched on the doorknob and he knew that the door most likely led to where the jeweler would be working. Usually she was relaxed on missions but now her back was stiff and he didn't dare guess the reason.

Blue could feel Green's breath on the back of her neck and wanted to swear at him for leaving the child alone but she also wanted to beg him to let her be for the night. Forgetting all the finesse she would usually have on her thefts, she threw open the door. At the same time she pulled her scarf higher onto her face so that it would cover more of her face.

She heart turned cold at the sight of the shop owner. She bit her tongue at how familiar the cold room was and she was once against standing in front of the looming desk. He quickly tried to stand and push a button she knew was hidden beneath the table to alarm the police. Before he could, she kicked the table to trap him against the wall and the violent action shocked him and Green.

"Don't cha move," She ordered in a thick southern accent as she gripped his hands and placed them on the desk. With a fluid motion, she pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed the wood beside his hand to scare him. The stiffness in her shoulders hadn't left and Green didn't know if he should pull her away to cool her head when she whispered to him. "If he tries to move, take off his fingers. I need to look for the files."

Blue didn't lower her gaze from the man, daring him to anger him, and took a tentative step back from them until her came back against the file cabinet she knew kept most of their files. Only when she saw a strange acceptance in Green's eyes as he turned his gaze to the man did she turn her back to them. She had to laugh bitterly that after twenty years the fool still hadn't changed his locks.

She picked the lock and jerked the drawer out enough for her to reach the secret compartment in the back. The jewelry store would do anything to make a sale and that included selling stolen goods. If someone made a request for a similar jewelry, they would look in the worst of places. They would keep the jewels and information in the drawer. Thankfully they took her bait and found a good amount of information.

Blue tuck the file they made of the locket and possible places it could be into her satchel. She then took the rest of the jewelry inside, knowing they were most likely stolen, and thrust them into her bag. After she emptied the box, could swear ice was biting into her skin as she placed it back. Her movements were much slower now, as if the ice had ebbed away her frustration into anxiety.

"We've got everything we need," Blue thickened her accent further since she didn't want the slightest mistake to give away her identity. With a sharp move on the back of the shopkeeper's head, she knocked him out. Telling herself that he didn't recognize her, she let her shoulders relax. "Get all the video footage. I doubt he'll call the police on us but we shouldn't leave any evidence."

"We broke into his shop and stole jewelry from him," Green argued softly. He saw her place the jewelry in her bag and a part him couldn't believe it. Even though she was a vigilante that stole heirlooms in the Berlitz's name, he didn't think she would steal without necessity. Blue was silent as she took out a video camera hidden in the wall. When he thought she wouldn't answer him, she whispered.

"They were already stolen so he can't call the police on us," Green couldn't understand that she was rationalizing her crime. He could never understand the woman or her actions. Maybe in another time or world she would've been an actress because she hid her true feelings so well. She pulled the knife from the table and muttered something to herself.

Green couldn't ask her why her hands shook around the knife. He couldn't even demand to know who she really behind her act. She was dangerous and he should know better than to dive into her past. She didn't want him in it and he shouldn't want to involve himself either.

But he did.

"Where's the kid?" Blue asked once they were out of the shop and standing in the alley beside it. Green told the kid to wait for them but he didn't expect him to listen so he wasn't surprise that he ran. Green was about to push the issue away but Blue pressed on and started to call out softly for him. It wasn't safe for them to stay and he tried to pull her away again.

"I'm not the police," Blue pushed off his arm and whispered once she found a crate he could've used for shelter. "You're not in trouble, little one. In fact, I'm here to help you. I know you don't want to be bad so let me help you be good. There's a special little family I want to introduce you to."

"Family?" Green was shocked at the boy's voice and how he responded to her hopeful words. He thought that the boy was a child of one of the workers but now it was obvious now that he was homeless which made his presence at the jeweller's all the more confusing.

Blue didn't seem surprise as she gave him a gentle smile and nodded to him. If there was hope in his eyes, there was still a chance for him. Blue opened her arms to him and he ran into them. She knew that he didn't trust her. He just wanted what she could represent: redemption and freedom. But she was happy to give him a chance at something she wasn't given in her past.

"Let's go and meet your new family," Blue took his hand and as they walk, she made sure to keep her strides short so he could keep up. When she looked forward, her eyes met Green's and she became nervous for a moment. She was so engrossed in helping the boy that she almost forgot that he was watching her. She lowered her gaze and walked past him. "You can go home by yourself."

"It's dangerous for you two to walk in the streets alone. I'll go with you." Green told her and she doubted that it was an offer she could refuse. He didn't hold out his hand to her but he took it. She could feel their warmth in her hands but she told herself that she shouldn't let herself become comfortable with it. She was far from deserving of it and returning to the shop reminded her of that.

* * *

><p>"My friend Crystal works here." Green didn't know if bringing the boy to an orphanage was the best place to take the boy since he had heard so many stories of abuse around such establishments. Even with his weariness, he could hear laughter and cheering within. Blue seemed familiar with the orphanage as she threw open the door without knocking. "Meet your new family!"<p>

The boy was overwhelmed at how warm the large building was and how the laughter continued even after Blue's abrupt arrival. Some continued with their game while others turned to see her and ran to her. They were soon surrounded and Green soon felt awkward being around so many children. He taught students but they were all in university so he didn't have much experience with children.

"Blue?" A voice came from the back and he was shocked to see Crystal come out to greet them. She barely gave him a glance but the accusation in them was cold enough. There was no trace of that coldness when she saw the kid clutching Blue's hand though. "Who do we have here? You must be cold. I'll have Emerald give you a change of clothes and I'll make you something to eat."

Crystal searched the crowd and when she spotted a rather tall boy, she waved to him. "Emerald, Blue brought another family member. Can you lend him some of your old clothes and show him around while I make something? It should be ready in half an hour so bring him down to join us for dinner."

"I'll help make dinner," Blue offered but Crystal shook her head.

"Green can help me. I would rather not have him alone with the kids. Anyways, they missed you and said you don't come around often enough anymore. It would be great if you play with them. I think it's a good idea for you to be the one that help that boy become at home here."

Blue nodded and turned on her heel. Green knew he shouldn't be shocked by her ability to change emotions easily but he continued to be. She smiled so bright that he would've never guessed that she had just robbed a store. She left his side and he had no other choice but to follow Crystal into the kitchen. He didn't want to think the array of knives on the counter since she still harboured ill feelings towards him.

"What can I do to help?" He asked, once again trying to change her opinion on him. By the way he sighed he knew that he was approaching the act as a chore which confused him. He was trying to gain Blue's trust as well but, even with all the times it frustrated him, it never felt like an imposition. But Crystal and Blue were two very different people so he brushed the thought aside.

"Don't try to get close to us." Crystal ordered as she expertly used a knife to cut the chicken she had already placed on the kitchen table. Green winced at how precise her movements were and the threat behind them. "I know Blue wouldn't bring you here if she didn't trust you. She would try to protect our identity outside of the museum."

"I invited myself," Green didn't know why he felt like defending Blue but he did. He doubted that Crystal was angry with Blue for bringing him and it was more that she still disliked him for hurting her sister. It was obvious she cared for her sister and the other women in the group. "I'm sorry for any tension I've created in the group but the only thing I want is to find out what happened to my sister."

"I know," Crystal said softly to herself. She was stressed and overworked which she might've taken out on him. He did anger her but it was immature of her to hold it against him forever. "But I still think that you shouldn't try to get close to us. Blue has been through a lot in her life and I don't want for her to start caring for someone else only to lose them."

"Blue had a brother…" Green remembered the photo she had of him and wondered what could've happened to him. He knew what it was like to lose a sibling and wondered if she was still hurting her. Crystal bit her tongue when the door open and Emerald came in since she couldn't show her any of her frustration. She didn't want to worry the seven year old.

"Where's the boy Blue brought?" Crystal asked him and Emerald could hear the motherly reprise in her voice. He had a special place in her heart since he had followed her like a little duck would with its mother. Eventually she adopted him and they've been a little family ever since. "I gave you a responsibility because I trusted that you could do it."

"But Blue said she wanted to talk to him by herself," Emerald defended himself with a pout. She gave him a small nod and apologized for chastising him. While she loved him, she knew she couldn't give him favourable treatment around the other orphans. He threw himself into a chair and stole a chicken leg she was making. "Are the firemen coming next week?"

"I'm sorry Emerald but they're very busy." Crystal apologized. When Emerald had told her about his fascination with firemen and how they fought fire, she tried to arrange for them to come show the orphans about fire safety. Unfortunately they canceled at the last minute and she hadn't told them yet. Emerald pouted and she gave him a reassuring pat, "Maybe next time."

"Maybe I can help," Green offered. She raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged. "My friend is a fireman and I doubt he's really that busy. Gold owes me a favour so I can talk him into coming. It's the least I can do for intruding on you guys and making your sister upset. Hopefully with this we can be friends because I don't intend on hurting Blue."

Crystal looked to Emerald whose eyes were begging her to accept Green's help. Once again she knew she couldn't deny the boy and nodded. "I'll need to speak to this Gold before he comes to see the kids. I have everything handled here so maybe you should go talk to Blue about what you two were doing this late at night. I doubt that you found that boy by just walking through the streets."

"I'll make that call to Gold," Green said instead of answering her. She was perspective but Blue asked him not to tell the others about the shop so he wouldn't. He guessed that she was currently telling the child to do the same so he excused himself from the kitchen. He wanted to talk to the boy himself and find out what he was doing at the establishment.

He didn't know where Blue could be so he found himself wondering the hall until heard Blue's whisper coming through a door. They were far enough from the main floor and other children so she must've thought that it was safe enough to speak to the child. He knew he should give them a private moment but he was too curious and opened the door slightly so he could see into the room.

Blue was sitting on the bed with the jewelry she stole laid out between them. The boy was crying and he could see tears gather at the corner of Blue's eyes. Seeing that broke his heart since he could tell that she was desperately trying to hold them back. She was always so strong he didn't think that he would see her vulnerable. She didn't show him it though.

"It's okay," Blue gently wiped the tears from the boy's eyes. "I know this must be hard for you but you don't need to steal anymore. You have a family to protect you now so don't ever go back there, don't even go near it. But you need to work to redeem yourself and I'll help you. You stole these jewelleries for the shop to sell. If you tell me where you stole them, I can return them for you."

Green remembered Blue telling him that the store sold jewelry that they stole but he didn't know that they used children to steal them. He couldn't imagine having to steal at that age and what could bring a child to work for them.

"You'll do that?" The boy looked up at her and she nodded. She knew that simply returning the stolen item wouldn't redeem him but it was a start. She took out a piece for paper and asked him to list all the places he stole from so she could return everything. When they were finished, she placed the paper and jewels into her bag.

"Now let's go down stairs and introduce yourself to your new family." He nodded and took her hand. Blue could see that he was still nervous and was looking to him for guidance. She didn't know if she was the best role model for him considering her past and present actions but if he needed her, she'll be what he needed.

As she was walking out of the room, she stopped when her eyes met Green's. He was standing across the hall with pity in his eyes and she didn't want to think about how much he heard. Not wanting to show him how weak she truly felt, she turned to walk away from him with her head held high. She didn't expect him to call after her let alone use the words he did.

"You're a good woman Blue."

* * *

><p><strong>Once again I'm sorry for not being able to update last week but I've really been busy. Why is it that all the shipping I'm dying to write are the last could in the series? <strong>


	6. Choosing Friendships

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

><p>"Are you just going to stay quiet this whole time?" Blue asked as they walked home from the orphanage. He hadn't said a word to her for the rest of the night and she knew that he would have questions for her since he obviously heard her speak with the child. He was a straightforward man and she thought that he would ask her about her past.<p>

"Do you want me to ask?" He raised a brow and she laughed bitterly at his response. Why couldn't he be a simple man that she could predict and read easily? She didn't understand why he was thinking of her feelings when they were supposed to be nothing to each other. "I may not know everything about you but I know you well enough that you don't want to talk to me if you haven't even spoken to Yellow about it."

"She's so innocent I don't know if I should talk to her about it," Blue admitted. Green didn't comment that an innocent person would be a part of a band of thieves since that would anger Blue. He had to admit that all four women were different from what he would think of vigilantes. "Do you need help returning the jewelleries for the boy? It'll be safer for you if someone comes with you."

"You have a special way of asking me on a date," Blue answered since she thought they were going to go into their familiar pattern of lighthearted banter. Even if she considered three weeks long enough for a bond to grow between people, she didn't know what could draw them together. She didn't want to entertain the thought of them becoming friends but couldn't deny that he was different from others.

"If I was really asking you on a date, I'll be straightforward about it." He pointed out and she knew that he was being honest. "I'm not going to joke about something serious like this. I'd like to think we can trust each other so I won't half ass anything or joke about helping you, Blue. If you need me, all you need to do is ask and I'll do whatever I can to help."

"As long as I help you find Daisy's killer in return," Blue couldn't help but let bitterness turn her voice cold. His words were pretty and she wanted to believe them but she knew that they weren't true. She had seen how sweet words could so easily turn ugly and hurtful. "Pretending to like me is more insulting than you actually telling me what you think of me."

"And you know what I think about you?" He asked softly. Hell, he didn't even know what she was to him. "I'm not going to act like I know everything about you but I feel as if you have a lot of baggage. Maybe that's what keeping you from trusting me and you're projecting a lot of things onto me which I find very unfair. I've been nothing but patient with you and the others."

"Don't act all high and mighty," Blue snapped at the mention of her past. How dare he suggest that she was holding back when he knew nothing about her? He was the one trying to use her friends and he dared suggest he knew more than he did. "You've done nothing but judge me and my friends. You've been civil to our faces but I know what you think of us!"

"I think that you're much too smart to be doing what you're doing out of plain friendship or obligation to Platina." Green told her but he doubted that she would believe his poorly worded compliment. Blue confirmed his thought by rolling her eyes and continue walking without addressing him. What could she say to that? What could anyone say in reply?

The one thing she was certain of was that he didn't know her past and that gave her an empty relief. If he didn't know about her past then he didn't ask her friends about it. She didn't want to worry them about her past or for them to think any less of her. She told them some things but she never felt safe enough to tell them everything about her past.

The fact that Green was trying to pry that from her irritated her and the fact that something inside of her wanted to open herself up to him confused her even more. She closed her eyes and remembered watching love bloom before it broke her brother. There were still a lot of things she needed to redeem herself for and even if she repaid for all of her sins she didn't know if she should risk getting close to Green.

"This is nothing more than an alliance of convenience." She whispered to herself but Green thought she was addressing him. It was a clear message to him, stay out of her past and stop trying to get to know her. But how could he leave things as they were now? Trust was something he needed to work with people but it was confusing with her. Sometimes she let him in and other times not.

"You said I was a good woman but what exactly did you mean when you said it? What did you hope to gain by saying that to me?" Blue stopped walking and voiced the question repeating in her mind ever since he said that to her. Only a few people had given her a compliment and she didn't think that Green would be one of them.

"What do I hope to gain?" He repeated as if he didn't believe she asked that of him. "I don't want anything from you Blue. You're already helping me find my sister's killer and I can't defy you since Missy tied my hand. Even if that wasn't the case, I wouldn't do something stupid like lie to you. I can't lie to woman that can easily out me for it."

"Just because I've told a lot of lies, it doesn't mean that I'll know instantly when one is told to me." She looked up at the night sky. The grey clouds covered the moon and stars so the only thing illuminating them was the street light. She didn't know if she should go on with the insecurities in her heart but the words left her mouth before she could decide.

"You might be saying a truth now but later it's going to turn into a lie. If you really knew me, you wouldn't say I'm a good woman and you'll take those words back the moment I tell you about myself. My brother once told me a truth that turned to a lie. He said that he would always be with me but he's not here, is he? That was the only lie he ever told me and it hurts."

That was the first full truth she told him, he knew that in his heart. He could hear the pain in her voice and swore beneath his breath. He once again found himself turning back to her like the first day they met. He took her arm and pulled her into his chest. She must've loved her brother like he loved his sister and he didn't know if she moved on from whatever happened to her brother.

His arms were secured around her but Blue felt as if Green was forcing himself to comfort her. Even as she told herself that, she raised her hands to clutch his shirt. She thought she hated him for a moment. He was pretending to care for her but she hated that she wanted to believe him even more. She could read people so easily but what she wanted to think of him was so different from what she did think of him.

"I'm only going doing this because you had a rough night," Green muttered into her hair and tightened his arms around her. She didn't know how she should respond to his harsh words. She had never been able to cry in front of others, so she only leaned her forehead against his shoulder. She couldn't remember the last time someone held her as gently as he was doing.

_You don't know how wrong you are about me_, Blue thought to herself. She knew that he pitied her when he had no reason to. _But I'll accept this for now…_

* * *

><p>"I never knew there was so much crime in the world," Green muttered with disgust as he went over the files Blue stole from the jeweller. He couldn't help but remember that night and sighed to himself. It had been a couple days since then and it was an unspoken rule between them to not speak of that night again. The awkward silence after he stepped away from him was enough to tell him to not bring up the issue.<p>

Green still couldn't believe he hugged her or understand why he did it. He didn't know if he would go back and change what he did since there was a tension in the air between them now. She still acted cheerful around him and made him join her missions but he felt as if something had changed between them. What exactly changed, he didn't want to know.

He tilted his gaze to Blue who was sitting on his couch, typing something in her laptop. He didn't know if it was for her job or for Missy but he thought better of meddling in her work. His phone rang and he went to answer it but Blue was quicker. She grabbed it off the coffee table and answered cheerfully once she saw the number on the screen. "Red, I haven't talked to you for so long!"

"When did you become such close friends?" Green twitched at her words. He gestured for her to return his phone to him but she leaned away from him and laughed at something Red said. "You can at least put it on speaker so I'll know what he's saying."

"Green's at work and he forget his phone." She said before she turned on the speaker. Green didn't know why she didn't want him to talk to Red but he had little choice but play along with her. "I was just going to go and give him the phone."

"He's not the type to forget his phone," she could hear the skepticism in Red's voice. When Green grinned at her, she threw a pillow at him. She wanted to see how much Red would tell her when he thought Green wasn't there. She wondered if he could be a future ally.

"Men in love are often forgetful," She evaded Red's silent question and Green rolled his eyes at her reply. "We've been so busy that he must've forgotten it. He has been staying up _a lot_ lately so he's tired on top of being busy. He's just lucky that he has a wonderful girlfriend to think of him."

Green was tempted to grab the phone from her but that would make Red suspicious and he didn't want to involve his best friend. He didn't know why exactly she was pushing him but trusted that she wouldn't tell Red about what they did in the night. He quickly found a notepad and wrote a message for her. _You're on thin ice Blue!_

"But enough about me and Green, is there something you want to tell him? I'll give him the message," She offered and wasn't too surprise when he declined, saying that he would call back later. Even over the phone, she knew that he was holding something back. "Green talks about you a lot and I'm hope that we can become friends. You're a bodyguard for Missy, right?"

"Missy? You mean Lady Platina?" Red wondered how she knew the nickname only a few people called Platina. It started as something exclusive to Dia and Pearl but since she rarely gave out her full name, others had started calling her such. He remembered seeing her at the museum and told himself that she worked with his client so they must've known each other through work.

They talked about his work and Green sat next to her, thinking that he didn't need to worry about what she would tell Red. Her face looked relax as she spoke excitedly about the next exhibit they were planning. He hated to admit that he admired the passion she had for her work and wished more women were as passionate as her.

"I'm actually in town so I'll drop by and see you two," Blue almost dropped his phone when Red invited himself to their home. Green eyes went to the files on the table he had been looking over. His friend was an observant person and he didn't want him to raise any question. He knew that Red wanted to talk to him but denying him would raise just as much question.

Blue was going over what she should tell Red when Green opened and closed a door rather loudly. He stood next to her and held out his hand as he called loud enough for Red to hear. "Blue, I forgot my phone. Do you know where it is?"

"Actually, Red just called and I'm talking to him right now." Blue said sweetly but her eyes didn't hold the same light. She thought he didn't trust her and threw him a glare. She begrudgingly handed him the phone and forged boredom as she listened to their conversation.

"What's the occasion? You don't often call while I'm working so it must be important." Green notice Blue tilting a questioning gaze at him so he kept the speaker on. He wished he hadn't when Red asked him if Blue was still in the room. She sprang to her feet and stood beside him. "Blue, I'm going to go outside for a bit."

"I don't know if I should talk to you about this over the phone," Red admitted. "Do you remember that park we used to go to as kids? Maybe we can catch up at the café in front of it but only if you have time. If Blue's really staying at your house, your relationship must be serious. I don't want you to mess this up if you love her so you don't need to help me."

"You're my friend and I'm not going to abandon you," Green said with finality. Even if he did fall in love, he would help his friends. The hesitation in Red's words set something heavy on his conscious and worried about what Red could've wanted from him. He told Red not to bother himself with the Berlitz family but he was once again looking into his client's personal life to protect them.

"Love can make people do stupid things and I don't want to drag a man in love into this," Red voice was low. Green knew that guilt caused his voice to shake and wished he knew how to console his friend.

"You don't need to worry about me and Blue. My last class of the day ends at four so I can meet you at the café at five," Green offered and Red agreed much too quickly for his liking. His eyes met Blue's and he didn't know whose loyalty he should side with.

* * *

><p>"We have half an hour before you need to meet Red so we might as well get some shopping done," Blue looked at her watch as they walked through the mall. She wanted to hear Red and Green's conversation but she doubted he would let her and she didn't know which café they were talking about over the phone. She lied and said she needed to buy something but intended to follow him.<p>

"Why did you drag me along?" Green asked but thought that he already knew the answer. She didn't trust him and needed to watch him like Platina ordered. He also knew that she would most likely try to follow him to Red but thought that he could evade her. They've helped each other on a handful of missions now and he liked to think he developed some skills.

"So you won't have to lie to your friends." Blue answered, surprising him. "If he asks you about our 'relationship', you can tell him you took me out on a date. This isn't a date but it's close enough so telling him wouldn't be an entire lie. Now be a good fake boyfriend and hold my bags."

"Do you often tell yourself that when you lie?" Green muttered as he took her bag which was much heavier than he thought it would be. He didn't want to know what was in the bag but guessed that it was the disguise that she was planning to use to follow him. "Couldn't you have one of your friends help you shop? I'm sure they'll be much more willing than me."

"They do have lives, you know?" Blue knew that he was trying to push her away to meet his friend but she needed to know if Red would become a problem for them. If worst comes to worst, she would have to find a way to stop him from meddling with the Berlitz family. "Anyways, it's much more fun to be with you. The face you make when you're annoyed is too adorable to resist."

"I am not adorable," His brow twitched when she gave him the backhanded compliment.

"Let's take a picture and decide if you are!" Blue tugged on his arm and pointed to a photo booth. He couldn't believe there was still one at the mall since not many people used it. She tugged on his arm and pulled him into the small space without listening to his complaints. He told himself that it was a losing battle and he shouldn't fight her so swallowed his pride.

He watched her put in the amount due into the machine and pressed the options rather quickly. "It seems like you've done this before."

"Are you using another one of your twenty questions?" Her hand stopped for a moment and he shrugged. She thought it would be better for him to use all of his questions before he asked something too personal and told him. "I always liked to take pictures with Silver, to see how much we changed every year. We were kids and couldn't afford a camera so we just used these photo booths."

He could see the nostalgia in her eyes and knew she must've loved her brother. They both loved family and he was glad that they had that in common. He might not know everything about her past but knew she must've worked hard to give her brother everything he needed. He thought of all the times she interacted with the others and couldn't deny that she had a generous heart.

"Smile Green!" Blue hugged his arm and he barely had time to react before there was a flash. He didn't know how convincing his smile would be but did as she ordered. Why did she even want to take a picture with him? It was five minutes of his life he couldn't take back but he was sure that she wouldn't bagger him afterwards.

"Are you always so stiff when taking a picture?" Blue laughed before quickly kissing his cheek in time with another flash. He was shocked but she didn't seem to notice as she danced out of the booth to take the pictures. He touched his cheek where she kissed him and didn't know what to feel.

"What the hell was that?" Green said louder than he intended to as jumped out of the booth.

"It'll be unusual for you to not have a photo of your girlfriend," Blue pointed out and he thought that she only kissed him to create a believable lie. He was further shocked when she held up his wallet purse and placed the photos in them. "Only show them to Red if he asks you. If you open with them, Red will get suspicious."

"You stole my wallet?" Green patted his pockets and scowled when he found that it was missing. The moment he found himself liking the woman, she did something to make him doubt her. At least all of his money was still in his wallet and he looked at the photos. He couldn't find the one of her kissing him and didn't know why he felt disappointed. "I'll never understand you."

"How many times do I have to tell you that it's better that way," she reminded him and looked at her watch once again. "And right on time. You should start heading to see Red. I still have some things I need to pick up so I'll see you at home later."

She ran off before he could wave and he wondered how long it would take for her to follow him.

* * *

><p>"You look like a mess," Red commented when he saw his friend. Green's clothes were slightly torn and there were leaves in his hair. He couldn't blame him for being worried since he looked as if he had been in a fight. He was able to shake off Blue and he was now out of breath but he wanted to respect Red's privacy since he wanted to speak to him alone.<p>

"Just be grateful for what I do for you," Green muttered. Blue must've been determined to chase him through hell because he had to climb out of a bathroom window to escape her. He sat across from his friend and noted that the table they sat at was pushed away from the other tables. "It's been a while since we've eaten here. Did you already order?"

"I told the waitress that I'll call her when we decided," Red said in a low voice and Green raised brow at that. The man had the stomach equivalent of a black hole and for him to deny food must mean he didn't want anyone to overhear him. That made Green worry more and for once wished it was something miniscule he was worrying over.

"I was worried about where Missy was going I followed Dia to see if he would meet her somewhere. I know they're close and he would always try to protect her. Sure enough I saw him help her into a car but I couldn't follow them after that. I also looked into the locket you asked me about and I've been hearing rumors that it has been stolen."

"You already told me that when we met at the museum and I told you that it was probably nothing. Just let it be before you get yourself in too deep again." Green knew it was underhanded to bring up past events but knew he had to discourage his friend from searching any deeper. "They probably sold it off. If you accuse them without proof, you'll risk your job."

"But my job _is_ their safety," Red pointed out. "If someone was able to break in to steal heirlooms, they're probably be able to do so again. And I don't think they're rumours anymore. I was checking some things at the police station and found a report about a mission mirror. The crest on the mirror is similar to the Berlitz's but the report was under another person's name."

"A mirror with a similar design is little proof," Green knew that the excuse wasn't enough to discourage his friend but he had to try. Red was not a stupid man but he was devoted to his work. Once he committed himself to something, he would not give up. What could he say without hurting his pride? "I just don't want to see you hurt again."

"It's not that bad," Red put his hand in his pocket discretely. "I'm not stupid anymore and I learned my lesson. I'm keeping my distance and using my gut so I won't get into trouble. It's obvious that someone was able to steal that mirror and I need to know how so I can stop others from doing the same. I don't want to go in alone so I'm asking if you can help me."

Green wanted desperately to say he would help but he couldn't risk involving him. Red might've found parts of the story but he didn't know what he would get himself into. "I'll think about it but until then I don't want you to do anything. Promise me that you won't."

"Okay I won't," Red reluctantly agreed even as his gut was telling him to pursue the rumour of the stolen Berlitz's heirlooms. But once he had more proof of someone stealing from the family he was assigned to protect, he would find that person.

"This is on the house, sweeties." They both jumped at the sweet voice. A waitress placed a scone in front of Red as she explained a secret admire bought it for him. Green eyes narrowed and tried to see Blue in her and sure enough her ocean blue eyes laughed at him. "Sorry to interrupt you but she was so shy that I took pity on her and brought it to you in her stead."

"Thank her for me please," Red took the scone and scanned the café but he couldn't see anyone watching them. He couldn't believe that he had a secret admirer but people had told him that he was oblivious to most women. The waitress left rather quickly and she didn't show any sign that she heard them so he told himself not to worry.

Green on the other hand had to worry about what Blue would do. He didn't doubt that she was listening and he didn't know how she knew where they were. Red was his friend and he wouldn't let him become involve with the vigilante group. "Red, you said that your gut tells you to pursue this but my gut tells me that it's dangerous. Drop the issue."

"I will for now." Red sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>I needed some fluff after writing some angst (for another project, not this one). I hate to do this twice in a row but I'm not going to have the next chapter ready by next week. I have three finals in a row for this week. But after that I don't have any more finals so I'll cram as much writing over the winter break and get my updates on track again ^-^<strong>


	7. A Brother's Guilt

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

><p>"What should we do about Red?" Crystal asked Platina while Green was out of the room. Blue had sent him on an errand with Yellow because she knew that he would try to defend his friend. She had no intention of hurting Red but Missy was determined to find her heirlooms and Red could become a problem. "We can't risk more people knowing about us."<p>

"He won't and even if he does learn more about us, I already have a plan in place for him." Blue told them and her tone made Lyra worry. Blue sounded assured of herself but she couldn't be certain of anything anymore. What really worried her was the list of contacts she stole from Red's social media. It didn't hold a candle to theirs but it was enough for him to find things better left hidden.

"At least we have the advantage of knowing him." The old saying of keeping an enemy close echoed in Patina's mind and she would follow it now. Red was employed under her family and if needed she could assign him to guard someone else. "But beyond that, I want to know how far we have progressed this week. Have you been able to locate any more of my heirlooms?"

"I'm focusing on the locket right now but I assigned locating other heirlooms to everyone else," Blue naturally took on the role as leader. She nodded to Lyra who was already taking her laptop out of her bag. As she opening some of her files, Blue went on. "I spoke with some of my old contacts and I'm going to make some more inquires."

"Give me the reports later." Platina asked as she went through the reports the others already gave her. She hated when she knew less than others and required reports of them. Blue was a special case since she was adamant about not naming where she got her information and from the little she knew about Blue's past she understood why. Her reports were rather short but Platina didn't comment on them.

"The thing we really need to worry about is Green teaming up with Red." Blue remembered the guilt in Green's eyes as he spoke with Red at the café. She didn't want him to risk his friendship with Red but she had to protect her friends. "We need to find that locket quickly and cut our ties with Green before he becomes a liability. I'll keep an eye on him until then."

_I really wish I could do more like you,_ Lyra sighed to herself. She couldn't help beyond her laptop since she couldn't risk going outside of the museum. Of course if she did try to get more involved, her sister would have a heart attack. So she would do her best to look through the internet to find anyone selling items similar to one of the heirlooms Platina listed.

"I think I found something though," Lyra showed Platina the website she found. "I sent photos to every pawn shop in the area but with the advancement of the internet, a lot of things are being sold under the table. There's little regulation for these online shops and third parties using them withhold a lot of information. I found some of your lesser jewelleries being sold."

Platina nodded. The jewellery Lyra was referring to didn't have her family's crest so people wouldn't be able to recognize them easily. "Track them down and steal them back. I'll be damn if I have to buy back what is already mine. I'm assigning Crystal to collect them and Lyra you need create another communication device so we can keep in contact over a larger distance."

"I'm on it," Lyra wrote down several things she would need to make the communicators. Platina would often go overseas for business and wanted a secure way to communicate with them. She trusted them but didn't want to leave anything to chance since her family name was at risk.

"Don't worry we'll steal everything back for you," Blue placed a hand on Platina's shoulder. "You've done so much for us and we all want to repay you for what you've done for us."

* * *

><p>"So what's the real reason that Blue asked you to watch over me rather than do it herself?" Green asked Yellow as they walked down the street. He didn't believe that Blue simply wanted him to buy them coffee and wondered what she was discussing with Missy that she didn't want him to hear. He couldn't help but worry about what she might do to Red since he was sure she overheard their conversation.<p>

"I told Blue that I wanted to go out and buy some art supplies so she thought it was more convenient for me to watch over you," Yellow said after a moment and Green knew that she was lying. They had passed by several shops and she didn't glance their way once. She must've read his thoughts because she quickly turned around and said, "thank you for reminding me that I need to do so."

"Blue told me that you had an incredible memory." Green rebutted under his breath. She said that Yellow never forgot a face or a promise. Yellow could draw Platina's heirlooms without a reference after seeing it onto once. Beside her art ability Green didn't see how she fit within the group since she was a poor liar but he could use her kind nature to his advantage.

"While you're in there I'll make a call," Green lied and she hesitated at his words. "You don't need to worry about me running to the police since I'll be incriminating myself and you can't take more than a couple minutes to buy what you need. Just give me five minutes to call my friend and tell him to pick some things up from my house."

"Okay then, I'll trust you." Yellow nodded and turned on her heel to walk into the store. Green couldn't believe that she agreed so easily and almost laughed at how unsuited she was to be a vigilante. But he couldn't be disappointed as he made a call and walked away from the store. He could outrun the small woman and make some inquires on his own.

He didn't notice Yellow watching him from the window with her arms crossed. _What does he think I am? An idiot?_

Green knew that Lyra would be able to track his phone and that Blue might've bugged his car so turned it off before calling a taxi to take him to his sister's home. He couldn't bring himself to go back to her home or speak with her husband since her death. It hurt but he had to force himself to face her death if he wanted to find who killed her.

He tried to mentally prepare himself in the ride to Daisy's home but couldn't settle the emotions running through him. He thought he had already grieved her death but he felt something heavy in his stomach force its way into his throat. He felt anger towards Billy for not protecting her. He felt sadness over her death. But mostly he felt guilt.

"We've arrived." The cab driver informed him and Green started to hand her the amount due.

"There's no need," The driver's voice suddenly changed and Green's head snapped up. He could finally see her eyes clearly in the mirror and sure enough their blue hue reflected an angry sea. He swore beneath his breath since he was sure that he had more time before Yellow discovered his deceit. He had underestimated her and most likely damned himself.

"I thought better of you," Blue snarled and Green flinched. She pulled off her wig as she leaned back against the seat. She didn't explode at him and he wished that she would since her look of disappointment made him feel guiltier than he thought it would. Lying to Yellow was easy that didn't seem to be the same with Blue. "You're lucky Yellow only told me and not Platina."

"Why didn't she?" Green raised a brow. He didn't want to think about what Platina would do to him if she did find out that he tried to investigate without them. He was never one to rely on others and he needed to find answers on his own.

"Because she thought it would be better for me to talk to you," Blue answer took him out of his thoughts. "She said that it would be much more efficient to follow you than to drag you back and forcing the answer out of you. She's a sweet woman but you need to know that she's as committed to this cause as I am, so don't try to cross her again."

"How did you find me?" Green asked. What he also wanted to know was how she obtained the taxi and didn't want to entertain the thought of her stealing. She was a thief but he doubted she would go so far as to steal a car. The identification showed a photo of her in his disguise and he only gave it a passing look when he first entered the taxi.

"I got Lyra to track your phone and she said that you made a call for a taxi at the mall. I called them and canceled before going to pick you up myself. Platina bought us several cars to us and this taxi was one of them." Blue answered. "Yellow also said that we shouldn't tell Platina about you trying to run either because things are already tense."

"I guess I have to apologize and thank Yellow when this is over." Green sighed and her piercing eyes pushed him to add, "I might as well tell you what I was planning to do. I was going to see if I could find anything in…"

"In Daisy's home," Blue ended for him once she heard the way he trailed off before saying his sister's name. She had to admit that they were similar in the way they had a strong loyalty to family. "If it makes you feel better you don't need to go into that house. Crystal and I already went through it to see if there was any clue to where the aqua necklace could be."

"I need to look for myself. She's my sister and I know her better than you so I might find something you look over." Green could see the pity and understanding in her eyes but could only turn away from them. He knew that if he didn't go into that house they would only be plagued with doubts and questions. Before he could adopt another train of thought, he forced himself out of the taxi.

Blue didn't say a word as she followed him. What could she say to a grieving brother?

"Lyra said the amount of work you took on doubled after Daisy died," Blue noted as they walked towards the front door. She was glad that there wasn't a car in the driveway which meant Daisy's widow was still at work and she thought that it was for the best. "I didn't take you for one to hide behind your work rather than face your sister's death."

"How should I get over Daisy's death then?" Green snapped at her but she didn't flinch. When he saw that, he mumbled an apology and quickly turned away. He turned over a pot to retrieve the spare key. The neighbours knew him so they wouldn't call the police. "And don't say something cliché like time will heal it and accepting what happened will help me."

"What's the point of you asking me for my opinion when you're going to snap at anything I tell you," Blue knew that he wasn't ready to face Daisy's death and was looking for someone to direct his frustration at. She picked the lock before he could use the key and walked into the house. "If you want to vent their rage, feel free to do so."

"Must you always have a retort for everything I say?" Green muttered as he followed her but the anger in his voice wasn't genuine enough to offend her. When she tilted a look of pity towards him, he found that he couldn't hold onto his anger. He started to enter a room at random, "Let's just get this over with already. I don't know how much longer I can stand being here."

He whispered the last statement and didn't expect Blue to react to it so it was a shock when Blue took his hand. Green couldn't read her eyes but there was something in them that made him question her next words. He thought it could be meant as a comfort even as she laughed off the action. "You can't find any answers in her bathroom. We should search her room first."

Green nodded and tried to turn his feelings to steel so they wouldn't affect him. He had visited her home many times before but now there was something cold in the air he never felt before. He couldn't remember any details to her home but it didn't look like anything had changed or move. As they walked down the hall he looked at the photos lining the wall without truly seeing them.

He stopped at one of them and sighed. It was of their family and he had the same photo on his desk but there was something about Daisy's copy that made him stop. He looked happy but he could barely recognize himself beside his grandfather. He had barely spoken to the man since Daisy's funeral but what could he say now?

He placed took the photo down from the wall and rubbed at the thin layer of dust gathering over the glass. He wondered if Bill was avoiding cleaning the picture frames and if he was grieving as well. The widow was yet another person he failed to stay in contact with after Daisy's passing despite the fact that they were both grieving the same person.

When he rubbed away the dust, he could see Blue reflected in the glass and wondered that she was thinking as she watched him. It could be anything from pity to annoyance at his weakness because she was able to mask her emotions so well. "I'm sure you did your research on Bill as well so what has he been doing after-"

"The same cliché that every man seems to fall into, working instead of facing their grief." Blue told him as tried to remember more from the file they made around Daisy. "We couldn't find any connection between him and the locket so there was no need to look any deeper into him. But from what I see he's hurting as much as you are and so is your grandfather."

And finding her killer would only bring closure to him but not them. He was the one that asked her but he didn't know why she answered him in a tone free of her usual teasing. Did she really pity him or was this another tactic to manipulate him? She didn't give him a hint as she redirected the conversation to finding clues to who killed Daisy.

"Bill often works late into the night so we have a lot of time before he comes back. Even if he does come back while we're looking for clues, he shouldn't be too suspicious of you. You can lie and say that you forgot something and dropped by to get it." Blue moved past him to the climb up the stairs. She said that she been in the house in the past so he wasn't surprise at how easily she made her way through the house.

"What did you find while you were here last?" Green asked her. He couldn't deny that having her beside him was helping him. With her present, he couldn't run away from the answers he might find because of his grief or lose face with her. But beyond that her presence gave him a comfort and encouragement that he couldn't explain.

"The most adorable pictures of you when you were younger," Blue tried to lessen the tension with the jest and he gave her a wry smile. The effort was awkward but she was glad that she could see him smile after seeing him so tense in the car. When she was first going through Daisy's home, she came across the photos but didn't think that the small boy would grow into a man like Green.

"Please don't bring those up," Green had a good number of embarrassing photos of his childhood. He remembered all the times Daisy would tease him with them and her laughter echoed causing a bittersweet pain. Someone as bright as his sister shouldn't have been taken so young and he was determined to bring down the wrath of a god on who ever committed the crime.

"People usually keep important things close to them so if she was involved with anything then she'll probably hide clues in her room. But we already turned this house inside out for clues so you really don't need to go through this." Blue could see how he was forcing himself down the hall and felt his pain as if it was her own.

He didn't brother to argue with her since they had already reached the door to Daisy's bedroom. Green always considered himself a strong and independent person but he never felt weaker than he did under Blue's gaze as he faced grief. He thought he was strong enough to shoulder the truth of Daisy's death but now he wasn't sure. But the 'how' of it wasn't what he feared shouldering.

It was the acceptance of her death he didn't know he could shoulder.

He placed a hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly. The sound of the door opening resounded through the quiet house but Green had yet to open the door. It was Blue's instinct to hide but Green stopped her and reminded her that it was most likely Bill who wouldn't be suspicious of them being the house. It was best to make their presence known quickly to Green left the door behind to greet him.

"Bill?" Green called out before turning the corner to see the man. He hadn't spoken with his brother in law since the funeral so it felt awkward facing him now. The man looked tired but the shock was clear on his face. "I'm sorry I came unannounced but I came to pick up some things."

Bill opened his mouth to answer but couldn't find the words when his gaze finally landed on Blue.

"This is my fault," Blue could see the tension between the two and stood between them. The tension wasn't from anger between the two but a reminder of their unresolved grief. "I kept pestering him to see some childhood photos. He said that his sister had most of his childhood photos so I asked if I could visit you two. He has a photo of you guys on his desk and you all looked so close."

"You haven't told her yet?" Billy asked after a moment and Blue forged confusion. Green couldn't believe how honest her reaction seemed but thought it was best to follow her lead. Silence fell around them and he awkwardly motioned for them to go into the living room.

"I didn't know how to tell but I wanted her to meet my family. And since you're still my family I said we could visit and look at the photos." Green said stiffly. "I know this is awkward since we haven't spoken for a while. Blue's big on family…"

"I guess I should get you some tea while you explain this to her."

"Is something wrong?" Blue tilted her head and Green nodded to Bill. He took her hand and pulled her into the living room. She watched Bill from the corner of her eye as he left the room until she was sure he couldn't hear them. "You're getting a hang of this lying thing. Now don't be so stiff when I do this."

"What are you doing?" Green almost jumped when she bit her tongue hard enough for tears to form. He stopped himself from saying anything more when Bill came back into the room. Blue didn't show any reaction to his entrance as she leaned her head against his arm.

"I'm so sorry Green, I didn't know." Her voice shook slightly and Green placed a hand over her head before he really thought better of it. He forgot that Bill was in the room until Blue leaned away and wiped at her tears. "I feel like an idiot going on and on about meeting your family. I wished you told me earlier."

"He probably didn't know how to bring it up so you shouldn't feel guilty." Bill interrupted them. He glanced at the ring on her hand and felt lonely. He couldn't help but remember all the times Daisy fantasized about seeing him engaged. "If he brought you here he must be serious about you. But Green you need to communicate if you want to make a marriage work."

Green didn't say a word and Bill expected just as much. He didn't know what to say either and wished that Daisy was there so she could be the one to give them advice. Even if Green came to visit him, he doubted Green was ready. The only advice he could give was to have him talk to someone who had better answers. "You should really introduce her to your grandfather."

"How can the man even look at me?" Green's hand tightened over Blue's reflexively and she placed a hand over his. "I didn't see the sign sand now she's dead."

"I lived with her!" His words sent anger through Bill. "I was with her for almost every minute of the day and not even I knew about her tumour. It wasn't a benign tumour so there was nothing we could do. Do you think I like this any more than you do?"

"It's not your fault Green," Blue's soft voice was louder than Bill's in Green's ears. She hugged him but he didn't know if she was truly trying to comfort him or if she was putting on an act. He wondered if it matter if either was true since their alliance was temporary. The question he didn't want to answer was which one he wanted to her true motivation.

"Daisy left you something but I didn't know when to give it to you. It wasn't part of her will and I found it after the funeral." Bill stood and went into the bedroom. Green looked to Blue for answers but she looked just as confused as he was. They could only wait until Bill returned with a small metal box. "It was in the lab inside was letter to you. I didn't know if it was personal so I didn't read anymore of it."

"Thank you," Green took the metal box and opened it to find several letters inside. Without taking one out, he closed the box and stood. "Blue and I should really be going but thank you for the tea… maybe we should collaborate with my grandfather sometime in the future."

"I'm sure your grandfather would like that."

* * *

><p>"Thanks for doing this for me," Blue said softly over the phone while she alone in Green's room. He was currently taking a shower but she kept her voice low so he wouldn't hear her. Unfortunately Green kept his showers quick so she could only speak on the phone for a short time. And whenever she was forced to end the conversation she felt guilty.<p>

"Who was that?" Green stepped out of the bathroom while rubbing a towel over his wet hair. He raised a brow at the knitting material overflowing his bed. He was used to her invading his space but he was surprise to find her knitting. She told him that she made the scarf she often wore but why was she making another one?

"It's for you, silly." She laughed and he wondered how she was always able to read his thoughts. She held up the half finished scarf to him when he sat next to her on the bed. It had a rather simple design but the material was soft and he could see himself wearing it. "You seemed sad after we left so I thought I might make you a present to cheer you up."

Green didn't know if he should believe her but he couldn't deny the warmth in her smile. She took what was complete of the scarf and wrapped it around his neck, covering the aqua necklace. After setting it in place she continued to work on it. "Now you don't need to borrow my scarf to hide that necklace of yours. It's been a while since I've made a present like this but it turned out pretty good."

Green hated to think how their upbringings were so different. He might not know everything about her past but the little hints she let slip made him think that it was difficult. He knew that if she was a weaker woman, it would've broken her and he would've never gotten to see her smile as she was doing now. "You're now complaining."

"Why would you expect me to complain?" Green asked her and she laughed.

"Because you seem to be the type to reject help from others," She stopped laughing enough to answer him. He was so different from what she first thought of him and that amused her. "You're a little like my brother that way and it's kind of cute. He said he didn't need my help when I first made him gloves but he still wears them. You'll wear this scarf, won't you?"

"I don't see why not," Green shrugged and touched the scarf. It was dark enough for missions and she did have a point that he used her scarf. There was also a good chance that there was a tracking device hidden in the stitching. He didn't voice the reason he found himself wearing it on their mission.

He wanted to wear it.

* * *

><p><strong>I have been procrastinating on writing because I've been inspired to edit with this ship I love and been using my usual writing time to make vids.<strong>


	8. Winter Nights

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters**

* * *

><p><em>You need to get the box<em>, Blue read the note Platina gave her again but couldn't bring herself to do as she was ordered. It was to help them find who could've stolen the Berlitz heirlooms but she remembered Green's sad smile and felt guilty over even considering stealing it. She folded the note and put it in her jacket pocket and looked at his door, knowing that he was in there as confused over the box as she was.

Green stared at the box in front of him and contemplated opening it. It was a simple tin box and it didn't give him any hint of what could be inside. The contents of the box could be clues to where the turquoise locket could be or it could merely be letters she wrote to him. He didn't know which he wanted to be inside the box.

He heard Blue enter his bedroom but didn't turn to her. Instead, he gently pushed the box away from him and leaned back in his chair. She didn't say a word as he thought she would and wondered what might be going through her mind. When they returned to his home last night, an awkward silence filled the already tense air. She had even called Missy to tell her that they couldn't go on any missions that night.

He finally turned to her and saw that she was sitting on her bed with her bag on her lap. Her brows were furrowed so he knew that she wanted to tell him something. She had always been vocal with him so he was worried that there was something she hesitated to tell him. While she didn't tell him about her past or friends, he felt as if this time was different.

"Don't sugar-coat it." Green demanded a little more harshly than he intended to. He was angry but not at her. Why was he so weak now? Opening a simple box should be simple to him but the thought of what was inside scared him. "Whatever it is, just tell me. If it's really important then you need to tell me without worrying that you're going to hurt me."

But Blue didn't want to hurt him.

She didn't know why seeing him so broken the previous night had made her sympathise with him. She shouldn't care about him. He was using her and her friends and would most likely betray them by the end of their mission. But she couldn't deny that she was starting to care for him. Blue forced those feelings aside and pulled a sketchbook out of her bag.

"Yellow made some sketches of suspicious people that might be involved with your sister's murder and Missy wants you to go through them," Blue handed the sketchbook to him. He took it and began flipping through the pages. "Just tell me if you recognize anyone in there that you recognize or if they spent some time around your sister before her death."

"You were hesitating to give me this?" Green almost laughed.

"You haven't opened that box of yours and you've been quiet since we returned from Bill's house. I just thought that you might be having second thoughts." Blue shrugged and tried not to follow his gaze to the box on his desk. If he thought she was going to steal the box, he would only pull away from her.

But Missy had ordered her to steal the box. Blue was known for going into other's business but she did have a respect for them and didn't want to meddle in something so personal to Green. He needed to be the one to open the box and deal with what was inside for himself. She owed Missy so much but this was a line she wouldn't cross.

"How about we go out and eat something?" Blue suggested since she knew that neither of them was in the mood to cook something. She doubted that going out would stop him from dwelling over the box but they would have to go on other missions soon and he would only become a burden if he was distracted. She could only dodge Missy's orders for so long after all.

"You can go out to eat if you want to but I want to go through these sketches," Green told her without turning his gaze from the sketchbook. He couldn't see the pity in her eyes as he strained to remember any faces he saw at the hospital. He was with her every visit so why didn't he notice anyone suspicious? "If you're really worried about me eating, I'll just have some take out."

"That's unhealthy," Blue reminded him though she doubted he heard anything she was saying. She tried to touch his common sense since she couldn't let him starve himself when they would be going on a mission soon. "What do you think Red would say if he knew that you're going to starve yourself?"

"He would tell me the same thing if I tell him that I was helping a group of vigilantes: 'are you crazy?'." Green didn't know why she was worrying about him. She let out a heavy sigh and her reprimanding look cut him deeper than anything she could've screamed at him. He looked back at the sketchbook for a moment before putting it under his pillow. "So where did you want to go?"

"Just someplace small," Blue told him as she took out her phone. "I don't think you'll want to go anywhere too crowded right now. Really, between your research, students and Missy's missions I don't know how you're able to handle it. I know the most adorable pizza place that's just perfect place for our little date. Now forget about all your worries for one night."

"Can you stop trying to tease me by calling this a date." He replied as he shrugged on a jacket. "Your quips have become rather stale because you do it so often."

"Then it's no fun if you don't react anymore. I guess the only thing I can do is stop," Blue pouted. As Green put away Daisy's box in a safe, she leaned over his shoulder and whispered. "But it's just so fun."

Green jumped when she blew into his ear and swore as she laughed. He caught her sad smile in the mirror and realized that she was trying to cheer him up and that made him smile slightly. If anyone told him that her pestering would actually make him smile, he wouldn't believe them but here he was smiling. He wrapped his scarf around himself before following her, "So where is this place?"

"I already told you that I want to go to a pizza place. It's a family owned place and pretty small so you don't have to worry about dealing with crowds. We're going on a mission tonight so you might as well get a good meal in your stomach." Green nodded in agreement and followed her. "It's actually pretty close so we can walk there. You better bundle up."

"Offer me food and force me to walk through the night for it. You're a sadist, aren't you?" Green muttered and Blue laughed. His words might've been harsh but his actions were another thing entirely since he held open the door for her. She couldn't remember the last time some did a simple kind gesture for her like he did for her every day.

"Their food is really good so you won't regret walking through the snow!" Blue encouraged and wrapped her arms around his. She tended to hug onto his arm playfully while they walked and did it so often that he barely notice his usual annoyance anymore. "I used to hate winter but I've grown fond of it."

"My sister told me that if I ever had a wedding it should be a winter wedding," Green remembered how Daisy enjoyed the holiday but those winters were happy so the memories made him smile. They weren't due for snow but it was cold enough for him to see her breath. "We had a big yard so we always made forts. Sometimes Red and Gold would come and play with us."

Blue nodded absentmindedly. She and Silver spent their winters trying to keep warm but she couldn't tell Green that. The nostalgia in his eyes warmed her and she knew that he would need those memories to move on. "What were you like as a kid? If you were as snobby as you are now I can't see you having friends. No offensive of course."

"Do people really see me as snobby?" Green rubbed the back of his head and sighed. He was standoffish but he didn't think that people would think so badly of him. But if he was compared to his friends like Red and Gold, he could see where people got that impression. Even if people thought badly of him, he couldn't find himself caring.

"I was a gifted kid," Green answered after thinking on her question a little more. "I guess that got to my head because I was kinda arrogant. Looking back on it now, I looked down on people and didn't treat them the best. My sister said that I needed to be more humble and make friends. She was the only person I considered smarter to me so I actually tried to change."

"Is that how you became friends with Red?" She remembered Green saying that they were childhood friends. "Your sister pushed you into being a nicer person. Well if anyone's capable of helping someone, it's their sister. I wished she could've given me some pointers because no matter how much I tried I couldn't get Silver to be more social."

The love and sadness in her eyes made him think off all the times he took his own sister for granted. He wondered if Daisy ever felt abandoned by him and if Blue could relate to that feeling. Green would never know but he was slowly beginning to see into the future. Beside him, Blue blew into her hands to warm them. Without a word, he took off his glove and passed one to her.

"Wear it," His harsh command didn't take anything away from the kindness she heard in his voice and she smiled to herself. He had his rough edges but he was kind. She shook her head, saying that he would be cold. Whenever he forgot his gloves, Daisy would share her gloves with him. "Don't be so stubborn and let me help you. If you don't want to take it, we'll share it."

With a heavy sigh, he took one of her hand and gently placed his glove over one hand. He held her other hand and placed it in his pocket. He saw his grandfather do the same with his grandmother. Both of their hands would be warm and he didn't understand why her hand became tense at the gesture. "The restaurant is close so bear with it for a little bit. Missy would yell at me if I let you freeze your fingers off."

"I guess it's not that bad," Blue said softly. His hand was warm in hers and he didn't seem to be bothered so she had to wonder what the gesture meant to him. She had held hands with many others but this was the first time she felt herself becoming nervous. How much of his words were excuses and what could he be hiding? "But I'm too old for you to take care of."

"… I know." Green found himself answering. He noticed her smile was softer than when they first met and wondered if his was the same.

Neither said a word as they continued to walk. It was late and the sky was becoming darker but Blue didn't find herself bothered cold, or even notice it. When she was younger, she and her brother were always cold in the winter. It was only recently that she had been able to appreciate winter for its simple beauty. She thought about the little boy she helped weeks earlier and was glad he had a warm home now.

She saw the restaurant in the distance and pulled her hand away from his. She didn't meet his eyes when she held out his glove to take back. "We're here so I don't need this anymore. But thanks for thinking about me even if you say it's for Platina. It's sweet that you care."

"You like to put words into my mouth, don't you?" Green groaned as they walked into the warm restaurant. It had a warm atmosphere and most of the furniture was made of wood and, despite the few people there, it was lively. He could imagine Blue coming to such a welcoming place. To think the place was so close to his home yet he never noticed it.

"Is that you Blue?" An elderly man looked up from the counter and greeted him. It was obvious that they knew each other well and she was comfortable enough to sit at a table without them prompting her to. She pulled him into the chair next to him as she ordered. "I'll get that for you. It's really been long. How have life been treating you and your brother?"

Green saw the sadness pass her eyes for a moment before she smiled at him and answered him with a vague answer. Once the man left, Green asked her. "Why didn't you tell him about your brother? I don't like talking about my sister so I don't want you to force yourself if you're the same. He's going to ask you again and it's going to make you feel awkward."

"It's going to feel awkward if I do tell him and I don't want to ruin this night." Even though she was smiling he knew that it was difficult for her to talk about her brother. There was nothing he could do for her despite that he wanted to. If he hadn't spent so much with times with her, he wouldn't be able to see that her movements were slow as she took off her jacket.

"They're nice people. Silver and I worked for them for time to put ourselves through school and if it wasn't for this place, we wouldn't have gotten our second chance." She realized that it was so easy to tell him about her past and wondered if she would begin to regret it. Curiosity sparked in his eyes but he didn't push her to tell him more which she admired.

"Her limo broke down right in front of this restaurant." Blue decided to tell him a little of her past as long as she didn't go into too much detail. "Silver and I went out to help her. Platina and I started talking about the earrings she was wearing and she must've been impressed. She saw that we were struggling and said that if I did well in a program her parents set up and got recommendations, she would offer me a job."

"You must feel grateful for her but I don't doubt that you would've made a life for yourself without her help. You're very intelligent and resourceful after all. You don't need to feel so indebted to her that you'll risk everything you've built. I think you deserve more than that."

"Of course you'll think that when your life had been so easy for you," Blue bit her lips to keep herself from screaming the words. She couldn't contain them and in the end they came out as a low tone. "It may seem like she just gave me a job but it was more than that. It wasn't a handout and she made it very clear that I needed to earn that second chance."

There were so many emotions in her eyes, both pride and regret, that he wondered why she felt she needed a second chance. "I worked hard to pass that program. I wanted to make something of myself so Silver wouldn't have to work. Sometimes I wonder if I spent more time with him during the program, I could've helped him more."

_Is that why she's able to understand me so well?_ Green wondered to himself as he watched her absentmindedly picked at her pizza. She never told him what happened to her brother but he knew that she was feeling some guilt. He remembered the words she told him to pull him out of his guilt over Daisy's death. He wasn't the best at words but he would try this one time.

"I'm sure if you noticed Silver's behaviour, you would've done anything you could for him." Green began. "Sometimes we only see what you want and as long as you didn't ignore the problem intentionally, I don't see how you're at fault. I'm sure he would tell you the same if he was here now."

"You should remember those words when you start to feel down about Daisy," Blue smiled softly and gently nudged him. At first he thought that she might've manipulated the conversation to have him give himself advice but she had a sad smile. She pulled a strand of her hair over her eyes as she would whenever she couldn't hide her feelings.

He didn't like to see her fight back a frown and took her hand to pry it away from her face. With his other hand, he used a napkin to wipe the tears gathering at the edge of her eye. Her eyes widened at his action and he immediately leaned back once he realized how close they were. "I can't have you crying. People are starting to stare."

"It's always sweet when you care," She didn't know why she was upset at the reason he dried her tears. She shouldn't be disappointed since they were nothing to each other and would be enemies by the end. Thinking about her brother always made her sad but being with Green helped her feel calmer. "If you continue to be so cold you'll never find someone that loves you."

"You're starting to sound like my sister," Green grumbled and she laughed as she answered.

"Every sister wants to see their brother happy with the right person. All we want to know is that our little brother found someone that would take care of them when we can't." Blue was forced to stop when her phone rang. She immediately recognized the number as Lyra's and wondered why she was calling her.

"Hello?" She answered and Green turned away from her slight to give her the privacy to speak on the phone. Blue thought that Lyra's call would be quick but knew that wouldn't be the case when Lyra's words became frantic. "Calm down Lyra. I'll be there in a minute but don't do anything until I'm there. Everything's going to be alright as long as he doesn't see you."

"Is something wrong?" Green stood the same time she did.

"You stay here!" Blue rushed to answer him. She didn't even bother to put on her jacket before heading to the door. "This is personal and I don't think Lyra would want you to get involved. I'll only be ten minutes I promise so just wait here and watch my things."

She was out the door before he could stop her. He looked back at her jacket that she left behind and debated if he should follow her. She was going to help Lyra with a personal issue and he didn't know if he had a right to involve himself. But it could be dangerous and that thought spurred him into action. He should still be able to chase her.

He placed her jacket over his arm and went to follow her when something fluttered to the ground. It was a note but he didn't recognize it so it must've fallen from Blue's jacket. Green knew that it wasn't right to pry into her life but he still open the letter. Something in just gut told him to read it so he did so and wished he hadn't.

_You need to get the box._

His hands became cold and a thousand thoughts ran through his mind. Green didn't doubt that it was a command from Platina. Anger made his cold hand became warm once again. Did Blue intend to steal Daisy's box? She should've known that she only needed to ask him instead of taking it away from him. How long did she think she could keep this from him?

Realization finally fell on him, crushing his lungs to the point he had trouble breathing. She could be stealing the box at this moment! He didn't know if the earlier scene was an act to keep him away from the box but he wouldn't take the chance that it wasn't.

"Damn it!" He had to express his rage so swore rather loudly. With her jacket still over his arms, he ran through the winter night back to his home. The rage and betrayal he felt kept him warm despite the night being cold. He should've expected her to steal the box from him but the thought never crossed his mind until he found her.

She had trusted her to the point he didn't even considered her stealing from him again.

* * *

><p><strong>I AM SO SORRY! I thought that I already posted this chapter weeks ago. I actually went on hiatus a while ago because my placement started. I'm going on interviews and workshops left and right. Because of this I've been so busy that I couldn't write. I thought I already posted this chapter to say this. If my friend hadn't pointed out that I haven't posted this chapter yet it could've been another whole week before I post another chapter. <strong>

**I'm actually working on the future chapters so hopefully my schedule will go back to normal soon. Again I'm sorry for leaving anyone in the dark and I'll make up for it. There's just two more chapters after this and then I'll be starting Stolen Splendor and I'm excited to write it ^-^**


End file.
